Alexandra Bridge replacement | Proposed

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

I'm confused though, why are they talking already about detours and staging areas and not about the design competition?

Is there to be a design competition?

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

How about "heavy weight of trams". Full stop. No cars or buses.

Unsurprisingly, this list doesn't include anything about the history of the bridge and its impact on the railways, transit, or anything else of significance beyond the engineering feat.

My thoughts exactly!!!

[skyscraperaccount]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

A viewing platform as part of the pedestrian space would probably do it.

It is supposed to be designed to incorporate space for public gatherings during celebratory times...so at least that.

[skyscraperaccount]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

How about "heavy weight of trams". Full stop. No cars or buses.
.

The Bridge Design criteria includes:

PS1. Provide a functional design configuration for the bridge and its
approaches that improves mobility and safety while prioritizing active
modes, and allows for future conversion of the vehicular lanes to a
dedicated light rail or tram transit system

PS1d. Provide two roadway lanes (one for each direction of travel) on the
downstream side of the bridge, suitable for a mix of transportation modes (such
as cars, buses, tram, or light-rail train system), with appropriate traffic calming
measures to promote slower vehicle speeds crossing the bridge, and built-in
adaptability for future potential conversion from private vehicular traffic to a
transit-only configuration.

[roger1818]

Why wait for it to be a future transit-only configuration?

[skyscraperaccount]

Originally Posted by roger1818

Why wait for it to be a future transit-only configuration?

Neither Gat or Ottawa are ready to run a line on it?

[vtecyo]

Originally Posted by skyscraperaccount

The Bridge Design criteria includes:

PS1. Provide a functional design configuration for the bridge and its
approaches that improves mobility and safety while prioritizing active
modes, and allows for future conversion of the vehicular lanes to a
dedicated light rail or tram transit system

PS1d. Provide two roadway lanes (one for each direction of travel) on the
downstream side of the bridge, suitable for a mix of transportation modes (such
as cars, buses, tram, or light-rail train system), with appropriate traffic calming
measures to promote slower vehicle speeds crossing the bridge, and built-in
adaptability for future potential conversion from private vehicular traffic to a
transit-only configuration.

I don't have high hopes they'll ever decide to remove car traffic from the bridge to replace it with rail. I'd prefer if they designed it carry rail and road traffic in their own separate rights of way.

[vtecyo]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

Considering the geography and the requirements for 'low-profile' a concrete arch bridge wouldn't be too out of the question, and I wouldn't be mad about it.

I'm not even sure simple highway overpass style bridge would work, considering pier distance and the sheer depth at the base of the Ontario side cliff.

I project ONE large arch, originating at the base of the Ontario side shoreline, and then several highway overpass segments on the Quebec side, similar to what is there today, just concrete instead of steel. Zazzed up with some precast or some sh*t similar to the new random precast decor on the overpasses on the 417.

If we're lucky, we'll get something akin to Dom Luis bridge in Portugal, with pedestrian routes lower to the river's surface (keeping a height reserved for boat traffic, of course, but perhaps connecting River Trails without needing to climb hundreds of feet)

...

[skyscraperaccount]

Thats a fun bridge to walk across...everyone piles on and wanders across yet somehow gets out of the way of the tram that runs through.

[skyscraperaccount]

Originally Posted by vtecyo

I don't have high hopes they'll ever decide to remove car traffic from the bridge to replace it with rail. I'd prefer if they designed it carry rail and road traffic in their own separate rights of way.

Agreed...assuming they'll do a loop if they ever put trams across you'll be losing car volumes on Portage ...one completely with Alexandria? AFAIK Commanda is off the table. I guess one hand is still planning on a terminus at Lyon and the loop is far future pie in the sky so NCC isn't going to build anticipating it while maintaining car volumes. If you did have cars AND transit on Alexandria I can't imagine the shit show that would be the Ottawa side at Major's hill.

[lrt's friend]

The old Hull Electric tramway loop circa 1946 still exists under the Plaza bridge next to the Chateau Laurier and the right of way ran below Major's Hill Park (used by the CPR until 1966), but the loop will likely only accommodate short trams in use prior to 1946.

Given typical government inertia, how many years will it take to build the new bridge (if ever) after deconstruction of the Interprovincial Bridge?

[J.OT13]

The bike rental shop still in the loop?

[J.OT13]

Un vieillard fatigué qui dopera l’économie locale

Par Mathieu Bélanger, Le Droit
9 janvier 2024

Wilfrid Laurier était premier ministre du Canada lorsque la construction du pont Alexandra a débuté en 1898. Véritable prouesse de génie civil à l’époque, l’icône qui traverse la région de la capitale fédérale en plein dans son cœur est aux soins palliatifs depuis déjà plusieurs années. Le vieillard est fatigué, mal en point. La corrosion s’est propagée tel un cancer agressif à ses principaux éléments structuraux.

Tout au long de la semaine, Le Droit approfondira différents aspects de ce qui s’annonce comme une véritable greffe du coeur en plein centre de la capitale du Canada. Des enjeux, environnementaux, économiques, de mobilité et de mémoire seront entre autres abordés dans une série des textes portant sur le remplacement prévu du pont Alexandra.

Les analyses menées par Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada (SPAC) qui ont été intégrées au rapport de la Description détaillée du projet de remplacement du pont Alexandra dont nous avons obtenu copie qualifient l’ensemble de l’infrastructure comme étant «inadéquate», soit une cote de deux sur une échelle de 1 à 6. La cote minimale à laquelle doivent répondre les ponts sous la juridiction de SPAC est de 4. Une inspection détaillée réalisée par la firme WSP entre 2017 et 2018 a révélé que la corrosion était le «principal mécanisme de détérioration des principaux éléments structuraux du pont».

Malgré les travaux d’entretien réalisés depuis, le phénomène n’a cessé de s’accélérer. Un total de 17 «préoccupations structurelles importantes» ont été relevées et sont détaillées dans le rapport. Certaines défaillances font augmenter la pression sur d’autres éléments structuraux du pont qui n’ont pas été conçus pour ça et pour lesquels la tension est «proche des limites théoriques du matériau», indiquent les ingénieurs de WSP.

Fermé 25% du temps depuis 2009

À titre d’exemple, des fissures ont été découvertes au cours des dernières années dans les «barres à l’oeil», qui font partie des éléments de suspension du pont. Si l’une d’elles devait céder, et en fonction de son emplacement et de la façon dont la charge serait redistribuée sur le reste de la structure, cela «pourrait entraîner une défaillance catastrophique», peut-on lire dans le rapport.

Les caillebotis qui soutiennent la promenade de bois installé au milieu des années 1970 sont les mêmes que la voie véhiculaire qui mène à Gatineau. Ils sont dans un état «gravement inadéquat», notent les ingénieurs. Des cas de corrosion avancée, voire de perforations graves, ont été observés. Cela force les employés de SPAC à tester la force de la promenade chaque mois et à contrôler le poids de la foule qui l’utilise lors des grands événements populaires.

Le pont Alexandra est régulièrement fermé à la circulation afin d’y réaliser des travaux d’entretien, voire des soins palliatifs afin de la maintenir sécuritaire jusqu’à sa déconstruction en 2028. Ce sera d’ailleurs le cas pour toute la prochaine année. Entre 2009 et 2021, la voie centrale en direction d’Ottawa a été fermée l’équivalent d’un peu plus de trois ans (1163 jours). La voie vers Gatineau a pour sa part été fermée à la circulation pendant un peu plus de deux ans (797 jours). Quant à la promenade du côté sud du pont, elle a été fermée pendant 128 jours.

Des milliers d’emplois, des millions en retombées

Plusieurs n’ont toujours pas fait leur deuil du vénérable pont Alexandra et continuent de militer pour sa réhabilitation et sa conservation, mais la partie semble plus que jamais terminée. La nécessité de le remplacer ne fait aucun doute aux yeux des ingénieurs qui le surveillent de près depuis des années.

Nul doute que le remplacement du pont Alexandra s’inscrira dans la mémoire collective. L’empreinte du chantier marquera aussi fortement l’économie de la région entre 2028 et 2032. La firme PWC a évalué, en 2021, que le projet dans son ensemble injectera 718 millions de dollars dans le produit intérieur brut (PIB) du Canada, dont 675 millions dans la région de la capitale nationale [323 millions au Québec et 351 millions à Ottawa].

Les industries de la construction et ses sous-industries spécialisées seront évidemment les secteurs les plus touchés par le projet. «On s’attend à ce que la demande de main-d’œuvre et de matières premières augmente dès le début de la construction en 2028, note le rapport de la Description détaillée du projet. Cela entraînera une demande supplémentaire pour les travailleurs de ces secteurs d’emploi.»

La firme PWC estime que les travaux de déconstruction et de construction qui s’étendront sur quatre ans seront directement responsables de la création ou du maintien de 6589 emplois dans la région de la capitale fédérale répartis presque moitié-moitié sur les deux rives de la rivière des Outaouais.

Environ 45% des emplois, soit 2990 équivalents temps plein, seront répartis dans l’industrie des travaux de génie liés aux transports dans la région de Gatineau-Ottawa. Les autres emplois seront concentrés dans d’autres domaines comme la fabrication de béton, le transport par camion, la fourniture d’équipements et de matériaux de construction, la restauration et les services bancaires.

https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/a...KN4XXYXMGF4SA/

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by skyscraperaccount

The Bridge Design criteria includes:

PS1. Provide a functional design configuration for the bridge and its
approaches that improves mobility and safety while prioritizing active
modes, and allows for future conversion of the vehicular lanes to a
dedicated light rail or tram transit system

PS1d. Provide two roadway lanes (one for each direction of travel) on the
downstream side of the bridge, suitable for a mix of transportation modes (such
as cars, buses, tram, or light-rail train system), with appropriate traffic calming
measures to promote slower vehicle speeds crossing the bridge, and built-in
adaptability for future potential conversion from private vehicular traffic to a
transit-only configuration.

At least it's within the realm of possibility.

Originally Posted by roger1818

Why wait for it to be a future transit-only configuration?

Agreed.

Originally Posted by skyscraperaccount

Neither Gat or Ottawa are ready to run a line on it?

Gatineau is ready. They've been patiently waiting for funding for their tram for years. It doesn't take much for the Feds and NCC to complete the loop, especially when you have such an opportunity as the need for a new bridge perfectly aligned with the timeline AND Ottawa looking at reducing car volumes in the ByWard Market AND the Feds wanting to close Wellington to cars. The stars are aligned, but all three levels of Government will miss the the chance for a truly transformative set of closely linked projects.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by skyscraperaccount

Neither Gat or Ottawa are ready to run a line on it?

Both OC Transpo and STO run busses across the river, so at a minimum it could be used for that. If you are talking trains, the bridge won't be complete for another decade, so a lot can happen in that time. Even if there is no transit on it and it is only active transportation when the bridge opens, the bridge could be better designed with the public roads accessing the bridge removed.

If we are going to make this transition, now is the time to do it. The transit options sound to me to be empty words inserted to appease those who want to see that.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by roger1818

Both OC Transpo and STO run busses across the river, so at a minimum it could be used for that. If you are talking trains, the bridge won't be complete for another decade, so a lot can happen in that time. Even if there is no transit on it and it is only active transportation when the bridge opens, the bridge could be better designed with the public roads accessing the bridge removed.

If we are going to make this transition, now is the time to do it. The transit options sound to me to be empty words inserted to appease those who want to see that.

I agree with this and also think a tram only loop makes a ton of sense. That said I don't seen any chance this bridge gets rebuilt without cars. It's too expensive to build only for bikes and pedestrians and the Tram seems DOA given the costs and limited utility especially to Ottawa.

It's an essential bike and walking route but I'm also inclined to think if we are rebuilding from scratch there are other things we could spend that money on. Rapid transit connection between the two sides of the river for example which even the tram proposal doesn't really qualify as.

[rocketphish]

Water taxis could help fill gap during Alexandra Bridge closure
Federal government set to rebuild Ottawa River bridge starting in 2028

Celeste Decaire · CBC News
Posted: Jan 09, 2024 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 5 hours ago



The federal government is considering extending the Ottawa River water taxi season to help commuters during reconstruction of the Alexandra Bridge, but some locals and officials are questioning how that would work.

According to the National Capital Commission, the 123-year-old bridge that stretches between Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., is reaching the end of its service life and is due for a replacement between 2028 and 2032

It's currently closed to vehicles, meaning the next closest options for drivers of the four city vehicle bridges are the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge to its east and the Portage Bridge to the west on the other side of downtown.

When it closes to active users such as pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users, what used to be about a one-and-a-half kilometre trip between the main doors of the national gallery and history museum would become a 2.3 kilometre trip over the Macdonald-Cartier.

The work is part of why Toronto-based Water Taxi Eh? expanded to the capital last year. Co-owner Luc Cote said he saw a major opportunity down the line.

"We would hope that we would be the provider when the bridge comes down or during the deconstruction and construction phase," he said.

In its project summary, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) writes that it's looking at expanding the water taxi season, which currently runs from May to October, by using a de-icing system on the river. The target is those active users.

Cote isn't convinced PSPC's plans for water taxis in the winter will work.

"It would have to be a dedicated boat that could carry passengers and break ice," Cote said. "It has to be a big boat. It can't be little passenger boats."

There's "no way" the small, 12-passenger water taxis his company operates would work, he added.

It's not only the kind of boat that needs to be considered, but also the capacity.

The Alexandra Bridge took more than 3,000 pedestrians and cyclists between the two provinces on average a decade ago, according to the study, or about one-third of daily active crossings.

Before the year-long closure that began in October, roughly 13,300 vehicles drove across the Alexandra Bridge every day, according to a 2017 City of Ottawa traffic study.

Emily Kells, an Ottawa resident who uses the bridge almost daily, said she can't see herself using a water taxi while the bridge is under construction.

"I used to live in Victoria, so I'm familiar with water taxis. It seems more like a tourist thing than a practical thing," Kells said, adding her first thought is, "how would that work in the winter time?"

Those details are still being fine-tuned in the planning and design stages. PSPC's report added that "seasonal limitations will be essential to tailoring the appropriate mitigation" when it comes to the use of water taxis or other transportation methods.

Other options mentioned include tourist shuttle buses and boosting public transit.

PSPC did not respond to CBC's request for comment by deadline.

City councillors on both sides of the Ottawa River have varying concerns.

Ottawa's Rideau-Vanier Coun. Stéphanie Plante isn't opposed to the taxi boat idea. Her concerns for the bridge's transportation between the two sides go beyond that.

"Our long-term focus here is to try to create safe spaces for people who want to use alternative modes of transit, not just their car, and we'll see how that goes. I haven't seen the plans," Plante said.

Hull-Wright Coun. Steve Moran said he also hasn't seen the plans.

"I'm not entirely convinced yet at this point that we have to deconstruct the bridge. We're still waiting on the full heritage report on what is the value of it," Moran said.

"We're also waiting on a report for the regional transport and how we move people from one side of this river to the other and how we do it in a sustainable way," he said.

Moran adds that water taxis are interesting, but likely not the full solution.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...ttle-1.7077846

[rocketphish]

What's in a name? In official Ottawa, that's a complex question
You might think the chief purpose of the replacement Alexandra Bridge will be to move people across the river, but no — its new name apparently must carry deeper meaning.

Randall Denley, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jan 09, 2024 • Last updated 5 hours ago • 3 minute read

There is a certain segment of our society, notably politicians and bureaucrats, who believe that naming things is a matter of stunning complexity that involves careful consideration of countless sensitivities, racial concerns and injustices.

It would be difficult to find three finer examples of the type than the federal government, the National Capital Commission and the City of Ottawa. Their efforts are illustrated by the apparent challenge of naming the replacement for the Alexandra Bridge, and by a new policy the city is developing to ensure future commemorative names battle social injustice and create Indigenous reconciliation.

As this news publication has reported, the NCC and the feds are collaborating on the bridge replacement, and what a meeting of the minds it is. Simple folk might think the purpose of a bridge is to move people from one side of the river to the other, but it’s far, far more than that.

According to a government planning document, the design of the bridge is expected to “reflect the different histories that overlay the land, specifically that of Indigenous partners and minority groups, including members of the LBGTQ2+ community.” As well, the bridge will “reflect Canada’s national identity and values.”

That’s a lot of reflecting, but the task is not impossible. As a suggestion, The Bridge of Shame would capture Canada’s perceived past, remain relevant into the future, and offer a special nod to the work done by our MPs nearby on Parliament Hill.

Still, it will be difficult to overcome the current penchant for Algonquin names. The NCC tipped its hand when it chose the name Kichi Zībī Mīkan to replace the apparently odious Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway moniker.

Not to be outdone, the City of Ottawa named its new main library Ādisōke, the Algonquin word for storytelling. That’s just a warmup for the city, which is in the process of updating its commemorative naming policy. The goal is to tie future names to Ottawa’s “diverse stories, histories, cultures, communities and legacies.” The diversity of particular interest, the city website tells us, is our diverse Indigenous communities, our diverse immigrant and equity-deserving communities, and the fact that the city “rests on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Host Nation.”

Not that the city is trying to push all this down your throat. You can take an online survey that is fairly even-handed in seeking public views on naming policies. It’s all fine until you get to the end, and the city asks if you wish to “self-identify.” You might wonder why that would matter, but the goal is to remove barriers to funding opportunities, prioritize applications from Indigenous and “equity-deserving” communities and ensure appropriate jury representation. In short, to make sure its favoured groups get to the head of the line.

Categories for self-identification include, in order, Anishinabe Algonquin Host Nation, First Nations, Inuit, Métis, deaf people, refugees/immigrants/newcomers, 2LGBTQQIA+, people living in poverty, rural residents, francophones, seniors/older adults, women, gender-diverse persons, youth, and finally, “another experience of identity.” Presumably the final category would include middle-aged white men.

There is an alternative school of thought, largely out of fashion, that suggests the name of something should be both apt and easy to remember. The NCC’s own National Capital Greenbelt comes to mind, as does the city’s Main Branch of the public library. The problem with Kichi Zībī Mīkan and Ādisōke is the terms are literally meaningless to most Ottawans and fail the vital test of identifying what they are.

Which is not to downplay the local importance of the Algonquin people, or “host nation” as we call them now. One might have thought our Algonquin heritage got a significant nod when Bytown was renamed Ottawa in 1855. Ottawa is derived from the Algonquin word adawe, which means “to trade.”

As for the Alexandra Bridge, the name has gained a certain local familiarity after 120 years. Let’s keep it. It’s just a bridge, not something that will define the future of our country.

Randall Denley is an Ottawa political commentator and author. Contact him at randalldenley1@gmail.com

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/de...mplex-question

[DTcrawler]

Rare time I'll agree with Denley. This re-naming obsession has gotten a bit extreme.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by DTcrawler

Rare time I'll agree with Denley. This re-naming obsession has gotten a bit extreme.

It's so much worse than that. The whole design has to reflect the agenda not just the name. Actually being a new bridge naming it for something unifying probably makes sense. It's being distracted from the real mission of the bridge that is the problem of this whole government with this the latest example.