The federal government has announced that the Alexandra Bridge over the Ottawa River will be closed to vehicular traffic starting Oct. 2 until the fall of 2024.
The closure is to facilitate what Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) calls "essential rehabilitation and repairs to keep the bridge safe and in service until deconstruction." The closure will start after the reopening of the Chaudière Crossing.
During the closure, one lane will remain accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.
The boardwalk and articulation joints will undergo repairs that will address the safety of the bridge, PSPC says. Workers will also stabilize the bridge structure so it can be taken apart safely, as part of the replacement project.
The aging span between Ottawa's Kìwekì Point to near the Museum of History in Gatineau was completed in 1901. It is the first cantilevered span bridge in Canada, by Canadian engineers and designers.
But now, the National Capital Commission says it is at the end of its life. The Government of Canada issued a direction in 2019 to replace the bridge within a decade. Several rounds of public consultation have been held and will continue into 2025.
The NCC says ongoing repairs will allow the bridge to remain in use until the planned start of construction in 2028. A newly designed and built bridge is expected to be completed by 2032.
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