Work officially starts on Chief William Commanda Bridge pathway
Work to turn an old rail bridge into a multi-use pathway between Ottawa and Gatineau is officially underway.
A groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning for construction on the Chief William Commanda Bridge marked the official start of the project.
The $22.6-million project will convert the long unused rail bridge over the Ottawa River into an interprovincial link for walkers, runners, cyclists, rollerbladers and cross-country skiers.
The bridge just west of downtown, built in 1880 as a railway link, hasn’t been in service since 2001. The city bought it from Canadian Pacific Railway in 2005.
Mayor Jim Watson said the project will incorporate the bridge into Ottawa’s urban trail system, which he called one of the best found anywhere.
“When the multi-use pathway opens next fall, it’s sure to become a popular active transportation corridor, linking a network of pathways and public transit on both sides of the river, and providing residents with more environmentally-friendly commuting options.”
Construction on the Chief William Commanda Bridge multi-use pathway is officially underway. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa)
The project includes rehabilitation work on the bridge’s structural components and a new timber deck on top of the existing rail track.
There will be a steel cable railing system, LED lighting and benches for rest areas. The work also includes linking the bridge to Ottawa’s Trillium Pathway and the Voyageurs’ Pathway in Gatineau.
The bridge is scheduled to open next fall, but some work on the piers and a pathway connecting it to Lemieux Island is scheduled to last until 2024.
Lemieux Island, a popular off-leash dog park, has been closed to the public since September for construction.
“Today marks an important milestone in making sure that residents in both Ottawa and Gatineau have access to high quality active transportation networks,” Treasury Board president Mona Fortier said in a news release.
Formerly called the Prince of Wales bridge, the city renamed the bridge after Chief William Commanda in July. Command was chief of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation from 1951 to 1970.
The city is funding $14 million of the project, with the federal government covering the remaining $8.6 million.
The city is allocating two per cent of the pathway construction budget to commission Algonquin art for the site.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.