Interprovincial bridge crossing discussion

[lrt's friend]

I received an e-mail from the NCC. Interesting, the use of the word 'deconstruction'.

Project update
Alexandra Bridge Replacement Project
A project led by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) in collaboration with the National Capital Commission (NCC).

Hello,

As indicated in our last project update, we would like to share some announcements regarding the Alexandra Bridge Replacement Project. Please read below to find out more.





Technical Advisor

Today, the Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, announced that a contract had been awarded to Arup Canada Inc. for professional services in a technical advisory capacity to support the Alexandra Bridge Replacement Project.

As previously mentioned, the technical advisor will support the project team to coordinate and complete economic, heritage and environmental studies. They will also develop conceptual designs for the new bridge.
The public will have opportunities to provide feedback on the conceptual designs. We anticipate the next opportunity in winter 2023 – 2024.

For additional information about the technical advisor, please view the news release.

Boardwalk Improvements

Minister Jaczek also announced that the Government of Canada awarded a contract to Pomerleau Inc. for construction management services to perform essential maintenance to keep the bridge safe and in service until deconstruction. The contract covers structural repair work on the boardwalk and the articulation joints.

Repair work will start in summer 2023 and is expected to be completed in summer 2025. More detailed information will follow.

Impact Assessment Process

As indicated in early February 2023, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) proceeded with its review of the detailed project description, which was posted on the IAAC registry on February 7, 2023.

On March 23, 2023, the IAAC made the decision that an impact assessment is not required for the Alexandra Bridge Replacement Project.

PSPC, in collaboration with the NCC, will ensure that a robust approach to fulfilling its legislative and regulatory obligations is conducted.

To learn more about the recent announcement or the Alexandra Bridge Replacement Project, please visit the PSPC website.






For related questions or comments, please contact the NCC’s public affairs team at [email protected].

Best regards,

The PSPC and NCC Project team



Thank you for your interest!

National Capital Commission
40 Elgin St, Ottawa
613-239-5000
1-800-465-1867 toll free

[Harley613]

So there have been two construction workers in high viz standing at the observation deck that juts out on the Ottawa end of the bridge every morning this past week. One has binoculars and one has a bird watching scope. They just stand there watching the boardwalk flex. Fascinating.

[Ottawacurious]

Came across this interesting old article. Lots of old photos of the bridge under construction. I hadn't realized they had removed so much of Nepean point to make the bridge.

https://churcher.crcml.org/Articles/Article2001_1.html

[rocketphish]

NCC warns of possible delays during truck survey on King Edward Avenue

Staff Reporter, Ottawa Citizen
Published Aug 19, 2023 • Last updated 4 hours ago • 2 minute read

Ottawa-area motorists have been cautioned to expect delays on King Edward Avenue starting Monday as the National Capital Commission begins a roadside survey of truck traffic on the busy thoroughfare.

The voluntary surveys will occur in one direction at a time, for one week each. the agency says.

First up is the northbound stretch of King Edward Avenue between St. Andrew and Cathcart streets from Monday, Aug. 21, to Friday, Aug. 25, between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. Traffic will be reduced to two lanes, with the survey operation taking the righthand lane of that two-block stretch.

The next phase, targeting southbound truck traffic on King Edward, is set to begin Monday, Aug. 28, through Friday, Sept. 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The survey “will be used to update data included in the NCC’s Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan, which guides the NCC and partnering agencies in their work to plan sustainable transportation in the National Capital Region,” the agency said in its advisory.

The survey plans followed another NCC announcement that two of the three lanes on the Champlain Bridge would reopen Monday.

Road work on the bridge is nearly complete and the bridge will open fully for all three lanes on Aug. 28, three months ahead of schedule, the commission said. Cycling lanes will be temporarily delineated with traffic barrels, the NCC said in a release Friday.

Work began in March on the current, third and final phase of bridge rehabilitation.

Before it opens, the bridge will be closed in both directions from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. from Monday to next Friday (Aug. 21-25) to allow for final completion of the work.

Cyclists will be asked to walk their bikes on the sidewalk during the five-day overnight shutdown.

Overnight bridge closures will continue on Monday through Friday until Sept. 15 so crews can complete paving.

The Champlain Bridge carries approximately 22 per cent of all interprovincial motor vehicle traffic and five per cent of all pedestrians and cyclists crossing the Ottawa River between Ottawa and Gatineau. The bridge was originally built between 1924 and 1928.

With files from Blair Crawford

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...uring-truck-survey-on-king-edward-avenue

[J.OT13]

I was sure that when the Alexandra replacement was announced, they'd move their 🞵🞵🞵 to build the east-end bridge. Usually, Government does its darndest to prevent inconveniences to car drivers as much as possible. The one time I was hoping it would be the case, it didn't happen.

[rocketphish]

New location for truck survey on southbound King Edward Avenue next week, NCC advises

Staff Reporter, Ottawa Citizen
Published Aug 25, 2023 • Last updated 6 hours ago • 1 minute read

The second portion of a truck survey on King Edward Avenue is shifting location, the National Capital Commission announced Friday afternoon.

Originally scheduled for a two-block stretch between St. Andrew and Cathcart streets, the survey scheduled for between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Aug. 28-Sept. 1 will instead take place on the southbound portion of King Edward between George and Clarence streets, closer to Rideau Street, the NCC posted online.

Ottawa-area motorists were cautioned to expect delays on King Edward during the survey, with southbound traffic reduced to two lanes.

A similar voluntary survey on northbound trucks was conducted this past week on King Edward between St. Andrew and Cathcart streets.

The commission had previously said the truck survey would be used “to update data included in the NCC’s Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan, which guides the NCC and partnering agencies in their work to plan sustainable transportation in the National Capital Region.”

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...king-edward-avenue-next-week-ncc-advises

[rocketphish]

Alexandra Bridge to close for 1 year, just as Chaudière Crossing reopens
1 lane will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists throughout closure

CBC News
Posted: Aug 30, 2023 5:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

The Alexandra Bridge, one of five bridges motorists can take to cross the Ottawa River in the National Capital Region, is closing for one year.

The closure will begin at 2 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023 and last until fall 2024, according to a Wednesday news release from Public Services and Procurement (PSPC) Canada.

It will be closed to allow "essential rehabilitation and repairs to keep the bridge safe and in service until deconstruction," PSPC said.

Work on the bridge will include repairs to the boardwalk and "articulation joints," as well as a stabilization of the bridge's structure so it can be taken apart safely, according to the PSPC.

Two days ago, PSPC announced the full reopening of the Chaudière Crossing would again be delayed, this time until the end of September. That bridge has been partially or fully closed to motorists since March 2022.

The closure of the Alexandra Bridge is scheduled to begin after the Chaudière Crossing has fully reopened.

During the closure, one lane will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists, PSPC said.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/alexandra-bridge-closure-1.6952494

[lrt's friend]

And our new bridge planning continues to go nowhere.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Harley613

When the last inter-provincial bridge was completed 58 years ago, the NCR's metro population was 482,000. Today it is over 1.6 million. This city can..not..build..important..things. Four levels of government, poor leadership, and a severe lack of creativity, investment, and motivation. We could have an arena on Lebreton in 3 years, but at this point, I don't know if we'll have a new arena before 2040.

We arguably have a bridge less now, definitely be a bridge short within a few years. If Sutcliffe loves cars so much, why can't he fight for Kettle Island?

[Harley613]

I spent exactly 62 minutes on the Champlain this morning from one end to the other, I just checked in my Google Maps timeline. I try to avoid it during rush hour, but today I had to grin and bear it. The worst part was watching around 2000 entitled solo drivers ripping down the HOV lane while I waited in the right with the other reasonable human beings. I would be happy to wait even longer if these chucklef#@&s played fair and stayed in the regular lane. That would inspire more people to carpool. The Interprovincial bridge situation is becoming untenable.

[Acajack]

I don't have to fight traffic anymore but from what I see and hear the traffic seems really bad even though a huge segment of the workforce (public servants) is working from home 3 days a week.

It's scary to think how overloaded our transportation system was before the pandemic and still is.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I don't have to fight traffic anymore but from what I see ams hear the traffic seems really bad even though a huge segment of the workforce (public servants) is working from home 3 days a week.

It's scary to think how overloaded our transportation system was before the pandemic and still is.

Gatineau is a bedroom community of Ottawa. It has been for a hundred years, and will continue to be for a hundred more years. The Outaouais region has over 400,000 people now. The bridge situation is, in my opinion, the single largest deficiency in our city. The Trillium Line should be extended to Gatineau, Kettle Island should have been built 20 years ago, and a Kanata-Aylmer bridge should be the current discussion. Instead, we are moving towards a NCR of two million people with no freeway or mass transit connecting the two halves, and no real plans for it either. It is becoming a disaster in slow motion.

[Acajack]

It's not just the Gatineau side though. The Ottawa side is bad too.

EDIT: And not just the bridge approaches but 417, 174, etc.

[Tesladom]

Originally Posted by Acajack

It's not just the Gatineau side though. The Ottawa side is bad too.

EDIT: And not just the bridge approaches but 417, 174, etc.

50+ years without any new bridges or highways/bypasses, but 4x population. Something's gonna give

Let's go with Kettle Island!

https://www.macrotrends.net/cities/20387...ion,a%201.08%25%20increase%20from%202020.

[eltodesukane]

"The Trillium Line should be extended to Gatineau, ..."

You would think that having a prime minister from Quebec could have made such an inter-provincial project a reality.
But no. Didn't even try, nor pretend to try. Nothing at all.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

"The Trillium Line should be extended to Gatineau, ..."

You would think that having a prime minister from Quebec could have made such an inter-provincial project a reality.
But no. Didn't even try, nor pretend to try. Nothing at all.

Not just a PM from Quebec, but a PM who was born and spent his childhood in Ottawa.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Harley613

The Trillium Line should be extended to Gatineau,

We have discussed this before in ad nauseam, and while an Trillium Line extension to Gatineau, would make a great secondary interprovincial connection, it is problematic as a primary interprovincial connection. Without a primary connection to get people between downtown Ottawa and Gatineau, it would divert many riders onto the Confederation line in its peak period direction of travel. With a primary route to absorb those riders, a Trillium Line extension would help people get between Gatineau and southern/western Ottawa and thus not using the busiest segment of the Confederation line.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by roger1818

We have discussed this before in ad nauseam, and while an Trillium Line extension to Gatineau, would make a great secondary interprovincial connection, it is problematic as a primary interprovincial connection. Without a primary connection to get people between downtown Ottawa and Gatineau, it would divert many riders onto the Confederation line in its peak period direction of travel. With a primary route to absorb those riders, a Trillium Line extension would help people get between Gatineau and southern/western Ottawa and thus not using the busiest segment of the Confederation line.

Well the system capacity can be expanded. Instead of spending $600 million on a new tunnel they could buy heavier and longer train sets and transfer seamlessly at Le Breton with a station above or below current. Ottawa could take this cash in return for allowing the free riders and get their problems fixed as the current system isn't working I think we can admit at this point.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by roger1818

We have discussed this before in ad nauseam, and while an Trillium Line extension to Gatineau, would make a great secondary interprovincial connection, it is problematic as a primary interprovincial connection. Without a primary connection to get people between downtown Ottawa and Gatineau, it would divert many riders onto the Confederation line in its peak period direction of travel. With a primary route to absorb those riders, a Trillium Line extension would help people get between Gatineau and southern/western Ottawa and thus not using the busiest segment of the Confederation line.

Agreed. It would make a great secondary link. Gatineau would have a footing in Ottawa with the Tramway, and Ottawa in Gatineau with Trillium.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by roger1818

We have discussed this before in ad nauseam, and while an Trillium Line extension to Gatineau, would make a great secondary interprovincial connection, it is problematic as a primary interprovincial connection.

This is an absolutely DEVASTATING counterargument to use against anyone who's proposing it as a primary interprovincial connection.

Let us know when you find that person.