Proposed Kettle Island Bridge

[J.OT13]

Feds commit to pushing forward on new Ottawa-Gatineau bridge​

The Kettle Island corridor in the east end has been identified as the site for the next bridge, but no new money has been committed to the project.

Author of the article:
Staff Reporter
Published Dec 16, 2024 • Last updated 14 hours ago • 1 minute read

The federal government says it will take the next steps to build a sixth bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau.

Citing downtown traffic issues, the fall economic statement says the government will initiate the “next phase” to plan and design a new “multimodal bridge” over the Ottawa River in the city’s east end, at Kettle Island.

“Following Corridor 5, the Eastern Bridge will become an important piece of transportation infrastructure that will optimize public transit networks and eliminate truck traffic in congested downtown cores, in turn, boosting economic growth in downtown Gatineau and Ottawa, accelerating commutes, and making active transportation safer,” the economic statement says.

Building a new interprovincial bridge in Ottawa’s east end has been a contentious issue for years. In 2012, the National Capital Commission (NCC) proposed building a bridge over Kettle Island, but the project was shelved because of opposition from local politicians and residents in the surrounding areas, and the Ontario government pulled its support.

In 2019, the federal government then asked the NCC to revive the idea of building a bridge in Ottawa’s east end and geotechnical studies were conducted in 2022. Kettle Island was proposed as “Corridor 5.”

The fall economic statement did not include any new funding for the project, nor did it include a timeline.

The document also pledged $31.6 million over three years to conduct feasibility studies for a two-kilometre portion on the Ontario side of the Ottawa River for a potential Gatineau-Ottawa tram project. In June, the federal government announced a joint investment of $163.5 million with the Quebec provincial government for planning the Gatineau side of that project.

Feds commit to pushing forward on new Ottawa-Gatineau bridge

The Kettle Island corridor has been identified as the site for the next bridge, but no new money has been committed to the project.

ottawacitizen.com

 

[J.OT13]

Between this, the Gatineau tram and HSR, the Feds are mighty generous in this election year where they will most likely lose. "See, we were going to give you everything, but the big bad Cons killed all of our projects".

 

[originalmuffins]

Kind of really annoying they let this, HSR, and the Gatineau tram stall and sit there this whole time. We should've had RFPs done and winners awarded for each of these projects. They were much needed.

 

[SweazyCavalry]

Kind of really annoying they let this, HSR, and the Gatineau tram stall and sit there this whole time. We should've had RFPs done and winners awarded for each of these projects. They were much needed.

Investments into the National Capital do not win you elections. If anything, it makes residents in other parts of the country pissed off against you.

 

[Dzingle Bells]

A first eastern bridge in the National Capital Region​

From: Public Services and Procurement Canada

News release​

A multimodal bridge to improve transportation and connectivity in the region by 2032 or 2034

January 30, 2025 - Gatineau, Quebec

In its 2024 Fall Economic Statement, the Government of Canada reiterated its commitment to building a multimodal bridge in the eastern part of the National Capital Region to optimize public transit networks, reduce truck traffic in congested downtown areas, stimulate economic growth in Gatineau and Ottawa, speed up commutes and improve the safety of active transportation.

Today, the Honourable Steven MacKinnon, member of Parliament for Gatineau and Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, and joined by Maryse Gaudreault, Chairperson for the National Capital Commission (NCC), announced that the integrated project office, consisting of Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), the NCC and a technical advisor, will proceed with pre-planning work. The next steps include the impact study, the design, the preliminary preparation of the site located on the corridor between the Montée Paiement and the Aviation Parkway, and the development of a procurement strategy. This new interprovincial crossing could be built between 2032 and 2034, depending on the impact assessment process and the construction program approach. The Eastern Bridge is part of a forward-looking vision to improve interprovincial transportation mobility and connectivity, meeting the needs of the region's growing population.

Because the project will build on existing roads, the Montée Paiement–Aviation Parkway Corridor has the smallest link footprint, and offers a faster planning schedule and better proximity to existing commercial properties on both sides of the Ottawa River, which will benefit from access to the Eastern Bridge. Residents will have access to diversified mobility options tailored to their needs, including public and active transport to improve connectivity.

Currently, the lack of a direct link between Ontario highways and interprovincial bridges forces heavy trucks to travel through downtown Ottawa, causing congestion, noise and safety risks. By providing a new freight lane, the Eastern Bridge could significantly reduce the 13,000 heavy trucks that pass through downtown Ottawa and Gatineau each week.

To proceed with the next planning and design activities for the bridge, a request for proposals for the professional services of a technical advisor was published on December 31, 2024. The technical advisor will support the development of the procurement strategy for the Eastern Bridge project. Interested firms are invited to respond to the Request for Proposals.

Public consultations will be held to gather the comments of citizens, Indigenous communities and stakeholders, to ensure harmonious development while minimizing the impact on communities. The Government of Canada, responsible for managing interprovincial bridges and crossings, is managing this project with its provincial and municipal partners.

Quotes​

“This is a great day for the people of Gatineau and the Outaouais. Today, the Government of Canada is taking concrete action to improve interprovincial mobility from east to west in the National Capital Region. The announcement demonstrates our commitment to regional mobility, following our massive investments in the electrification of public transit in Ottawa and Gatineau, the replacement of the Alexandra Bridge, the introduction of the Rapibus and the O-Train, and the planning of the tramway project in the west end of the city of Gatineau. The Eastern Bridge will promote the development of the La Cité development pole, in line with the City of Gatineau’s densification objectives around its main public transit and active transportation routes.”
The Honourable Steven MacKinnon
Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Member of Parliament for Gatineau and Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

“The NCC is proud to support the Government of Canada in the advancement of this major project, which reflects the evolution of the National Capital Region and will strengthen the dynamism of the communities on both sides of the Ottawa River.”
Maryse Gaudreault
Chairperson, National Capital Commission

“Investments in infrastructure are critical to supporting our region’s growth now and for years to come. The Eastern Bridge will significantly reduce the number of heavy trucks passing through downtown Ottawa, alleviating concerns around congestion, noise, and safety risks to vulnerable communities. At the same time, the Bridge will boost economic revitalisation of our downtown core and support the economic development of our city.”
The Honourable Jenna Sudds
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Quick facts​

• 3,500 trucks cross the Ottawa River every day, and 72% of them use the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge (Interprovincial Truck Mobility Data Collection in the National Capital Region - National Capital Commission).
• 67% of heavy trucks travelling on the KERWN corridor (current King-Edward corridor) have an origin or destination outside the immediate area (Interprovincial Truck Mobility Data Collection in the National Capital Region - National Capital Commission).
• More than 75% of trucks use a route partly to the east of the river (Interprovincial Truck Mobility Data Collection in the National Capital Region - National Capital Commission).
• The Eastern Bridge project is part of Gatineau's urban development plan (p. 5-101). The Montée Paiement right-of-way is still reserved as a transit zone for a future bridge in the Montée Paiement–Aviation Parkway Corridor (Schéma d'aménagement et de développement révisé - Ville de Gatineau, available in French only).
• Morning rush-hour congestion is expected to increase by 53% from 2011 to 2050 (Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan in the National Capital Region - National Capital Commission).
• All interprovincial links between Gatineau and Ottawa are at or near maximum capacity, particularly the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge, which is crossed by an average of 70,000 vehicles daily (2023).
• In 2009, the NCC, in partnership with the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, undertook a technical study of 10 potential corridors in the National Capital Region.
• In 2013, technical studies were undertaken on the 3 highest ranked potential corridors:
  • Montée Paiement to Aviation Parkway (Corridor 5)
  • Lower Duck Island (Corridor 6)
  • McLaurin Bay (corridor 7)
  • These studies revealed that Corridor 5 is the most advantageous.
• From 2019 to 2024, PSPC and the NCC updated the technical studies on these corridors. The studies showed that the Montée Paiement–Aviation Parkway Corridor remains the most advantageous.

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-ser...ics+et+approvisionnement+canada&hssn=linkedin

 

[SweazyCavalry]

I really hope this goes through. At least the business case is much better than that of Quebec City-Lévis bridge

 

[J.OT13]

I'm generally against major road projects, but this one is a slam dunk, and it doesn't need to result in more road capacity if we remove cars from Alexandra and possibly even a couple lanes on Macdonald-Cartier. It would connect very important institutions on both side of the river and clear up a significant portion of traffic currently driving through downtown that doesn't need to be.

Here's the full announcement:

 

[SweazyCavalry]

I'm generally against major road projects, but this one is a slam dunk, and it doesn't need to result in more road capacity if we remove cars from Alexandra and possibly even a couple lanes on Macdonald-Cartier. It would connect very important institutions on both side of the river and clear up a significant portion of traffic currently driving through downtown that doesn't need to be.

Here's the full announcement:

With the Feds possibly staying on during the summer, we could even see this funded.

 

[J.OT13]

With the Feds possibly staying on during the summer, we could even see this funded.

Unless they sign a contract for the work before the election (or if they win), I'm still very skeptical.

 

[J.OT13]

Le pont dans l’Est suscite l’intérêt de l’Ontario​

Par Lise Denis, Le Droit
4 février 2025 à 15h58

Le projet de pont dans l’Est, déjà tombé à l’eau en raison de la frilosité de l’Ontario, commence à susciter de l’intérêt de l’autre côté de la rivière.​

---

Le premier ministre de l’Ontario, Doug Ford, a dit mardi être en faveur d’une telle infrastructure. «Nous sommes partants», a-t-il lancé en conférence de presse à Ottawa, dans le cadre de sa campagne électorale.

La semaine dernière, le député de Gatineau, Steven MacKinnon, avait déclaré que son collègue Dominic LeBlanc et le premier ministre ontarien avaient «longuement» discuté du projet.

Une conversation dont M. Ford ne se souvenait toutefois pas, mardi.

«Vous dîtes que le ministre LeBlanc m’a parlé d’un pont? Je ne m’en souviens pas», a-t-il répondu à une journaliste. «Mais je suis pour les infrastructures!»

«Si nous pouvons obtenir un financement fédéral, si nous pouvons obtenir le soutien du Québec et de l’Ontario, construisons. Je suis pour la construction», a ajouté M. Ford.

Mark Sutcliffe «prêt à écouter»​

Jeudi dernier, Steven MacKinnon a annoncé le début de la phase de pré-construction du pont. Quelque 221 millions de dollars y sont désormais consacrés dans le budget de Services publics et approvisionnement Canada.

Le passage à une «nouvelle étape» de ce projet a été salué par le ministre responsable de l’Outaouais, Mathieu Lacombe. L'élu québécois estime qu’un pont dans l’Est serait une «infrastructure utile pour les citoyens» et «complémentaire» au tramway.

Mais aucun élu ontarien, ni fédéral, ni provincial, ni municipal, n'était présent à la conférence de presse de M. MacKinnon.

Questionné au sujet du projet, mardi, le maire d’Ottawa, Mark Sutcliffe, a affirmé qu’il ne s’agit pas d’une «priorité» pour la municipalité, sans s’y opposer complètement.

«J’attends les détails», a-t-il déclaré, se disant «prêt à écouter [les] solutions» pour réduire le nombre de camions lourds sur King Edward.

«Je sais que c’est une priorité pour quelques députés fédéraux, mais je sais aussi qu’il y a des inquiétudes dans le quartier où le pont sera [construit].»

Ce sixième lien entre les deux rives, qui devrait être opérationnel entre 2032 et 2034, relierait la montée Paiement, à Gatineau, à la promenade de l’Aviation, à Ottawa, en passant au-dessus de l’île Kettle.

Des consultations publiques seront menées pour recueillir les commentaires «des citoyens, des communautés autochtones et des intervenants, afin d’assurer un développement harmonieux en minimisant les impacts sur les communautés» environnantes, assure le gouvernement fédéral.

— Avec Ani-Rose Deschatelets et Julien Paquette

Le pont dans l’Est suscite l’intérêt de l’Ontario

Le projet de pont dans l’Est, déjà tombé à l’eau en raison de la frilosité de l’Ontario, commence à susciter de l’intérêt de l’autre côté de la rivière.

www.ledroit.com

 

[J.OT13]

Feds select 'technical adviser' for new Ottawa-Gatineau bridge in waning hours of Trudeau government
The federal government has awarded a $10.6-million contract for conceptual design and other work on the Kettle Island bridge project.

Matteo Cimellaro, Ottawa Citizen
Published Mar 13, 2025 • Last updated 27 minutes ago • 2 minute read

The federal government has taken the next step to build a controversial new bridge linking Ottawa and Gatineau as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prepares to leave office.

Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced the government was awarding a $10.6-million contract to Parsons Inc. and Stantec Consulting Ltd. to serve as technical advisors on the bridge, which is set to be built over Kettle Island in the city’s east end. The announcement came on March 13, Trudeau’s last full day in office as Mark Carney was set to be sworn in as prime minister at Rideau Hall the following day.

“Our government is committed to improving interprovincial mobility in the National Capital Region,” Duclos said in a press release. “The Eastern Bridge will not only help improve transportation on both sides of the Ottawa River, but it will also stimulate economic growth for generations to come.”

Parsons and Stantec Consulting will develop conceptual designs of the new bridge. They’ll also provide “specialized expertise in technical areas, economic and environmental studies (and) impact assessments” the release said.

The project is proposed as a “multi-modal” bridge that will support pedestrian, cycling, and motor-vehicle traffic and the federal government has said it will reduce heavy vehicle traffic in Ottawa’s downtown core.

Data provided by the federal government show that the five current interprovincial bridges are at near capacity, with 70,000 vehicles crossing the Macdonald-Cartier bridge daily. Morning rush hour on the bridges is also expected to balloon by 53 per cent by 2050.

The federal government also points to the new bridge as connecting major industrial parks on both sides of the Ottawa River. This will be a major corridor for truck traffic whose routes cross downtown Ottawa-Gatineau to reach their destination on the east end of the two cities.

But the project is not without its critics, as citizens from eastern Ottawa have voiced concerns over it in the past. The bridge has been floated for decades, with some community groups furiously opposing the idea. Community groups downtown, such as the Lowertown Community Association, have supported the project.

In 2012, the NCC shelved a proposal for a sixth bridge after local politicians and residents opposed the project, and Ontario withdrew its support. But in the last fall economic statement, the government announced it would be moving forward on the new bridge.

“There will be people who think it shouldn’t go here or that it should go there, but we need to reassure people that it will solve many many more problems than it will create,” Gatineau MP Steve MacKinnon said in a previous interview with the Ottawa Citizen. “It will be done with the greatest possible sensitivity to neighbourhoods and it will have an incredibly positive impact on the economy of the region, the Gatineau economy and the Ottawa economy.”

The federal government expects the new bridge will be completed sometime between 2032 and 2034.

With files from Blair Crawford.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...-kettle-island

 

[hoggytime]

Finally, common sense is prevailing. Upon reflection, the most ridiculous objection has to be the one concerning the Montfort Hospital being affected by traffic, as if hospitals all across the nation weren't next to major roadways.... Meanwhile, over at the Montreal Children's Hospital....

 

[J.OT13]

Montfort was built (at least the original wing) in the 1950s before they even considered seismic forces, while Montreal's Children was built after the highway, so they probably made some design choices to take that into consideration. With that said, do I think it's a major issue? Probably not. There's a buffer between Aviation and the hospital, and its surrounded by modern wings that were built with seismic considerations, and the highway can be built in a way that would moderate the impacts. This is kind of like how the NAC opposed the subway, but vibrations were never actually an issue.

 

[hoggytime]

Montfort was built (at least the original wing) in the 1950s before they even considered seismic forces, while Montreal's Children was built after the highway, so they probably made some design choices to take that into consideration. With that said, do I think it's a major issue? Probably not. There's a buffer between Aviation and the hospital, and its surrounded by modern wings that were built with seismic considerations, and the highway can be built in a way that would moderate the impacts. This is kind of like how the NAC opposed the subway, but vibrations were never actually an issue.

Fair point, but the hospital is also built on some of the hardest bed rock in the region, which inherently mitigates seismic concerns from the road almost completely.