Question Period Note: National Capital Region bridges

Budget 2019 provided funding for the replacement of the Alexandra Bridge, the rehabilitation and ongoing maintenance of the MacDonald-Cartier Bridge, and the Chaudière Crossing. It also provided direction for the refresh of technical studies on a potential 6th interprovincial crossing in the National Capital Region (NCR) and for the development of a Long-term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan.

• The government will continue to improve crossings in the National Capital Region
  • Work continues to advance on Budget 2019 commitments to replace the Alexandra Bridge, and we are addressing the demonstrated need for an additional National Capital Region crossing with a Long-term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan led by the National Capital Commission (NCC)
  • Funding has been allocated to the NCC to help address the maintenance and rehabilitation requirements of their two interprovincial crossings, the Champlain and Portage bridges. These projects commenced in 2020
  • As well, we are investing to rehabilitate and maintain other existing crossings, including the Chaudière and Macdonald-Cartier bridges

If pressed on a sixth crossing:

• Following a commitment in Budget 2019, WSP Canada Group Limited was awarded a contract by the NCC to refresh the 2013 technical studies on a potential sixth crossing previously commissioned by the NCC at a cost of approximately $440,000
• The purpose of the refresh was not to recommend a specific corridor, but rather to inform any future government consideration of a sixth crossing project
• Separately, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) engaged WSP Canada Group Limited to assist with conceptual designs, cost estimates, and a refreshed assessment and evaluation of three potential corridors, for internal use to inform departmental work in the amount of $1,384,037. These reports relied on the findings of the NCC’s refresh studies
• Further planning work would require an impact assessment that provides for comprehensive consultation with the public and stakeholders, including Indigenous partners. It would also leverage the results of the Long-term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan due to be completed in late 2021

If pressed on replacing the Alexandra Bridge:

• A 2017 Life Cycle Cost Analysis looked at the options for investing in the Alexandra Bridge over the long term
• The study determined that replacing the bridge would be less disruptive to the public than trying to maintain the existing bridge, while also being more cost effective
• Given this, PSPC has begun activities related to planning, impact assessment and design
• Its replacement has become more critical after inspectors found an unexpected structural flaw which forced the bridge’s closure from May 1 to 23 for emergency repairs
• From October 19 to November 27, the bridge will be opened to traffic only during peak hours (6am to 9am and 3pm to 7pm weekdays) in order to ensure that the contractor responsible for the Structural Steel Replacement project completes all the work prior to the winter season
• Planning, design and construction of a new crossing to replace the Alexandra Bridge is expected to take up to 10 years. In the meantime, inspections and repair work continue to ensure the bridge remains safe and accessible until it is replaced

If pressed on the program of work:

• My department is working closely with the NCC and the Cities of Ottawa and Gatineau, and other partners, to ensure that federal bridges in the NCR are safely and effectively serving Canadians, and that required lane closures are properly co-ordinated

If pressed on the Long-term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan:

• The NCC is responsible for the Long-term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan, in collaboration with the City of Ottawa, la Ville de Gatineau, provinces of Ontario and Quebec, transit authorities, and other stakeholders
• The NCC awarded a contract to IBI Group Inc. in spring 2020 to propose a long-term transportation strategy for the future of sustainable interprovincial travel in the NCR
• The plan will confirm the vision, policies and infrastructure priorities for sustainable interprovincial travel for a 2050 planning horizon. It will also act as a comprehensive blueprint to support decision-making at all levels of government to achieve integrated and coordinated multi-modal interprovincial transportation in the NCR
• The plan will go through multiple phases of public consultation before being finalized in late 2021

There are 5 interprovincial crossings in the NCR. PSPC manages and operates the Alexandra Bridge (built in 1900), Chaudière Crossing (portions built in 1828, and Union Bridge built in 1919) and the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge (built in 1965). The NCC manages and operates the Champlain Bridge (built in 1928) and the Portage Bridge (built in 1973).

Transportation studies conducted over the last 10 years have consistently shown that the 5 existing crossings and connecting roadways are at full capacity during morning and evening peak travel times (average daily traffic on all crossings: 187,000 vehicles daily; 9,000 using active transportation). That being said, the Long Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan will take into consideration the impacts of COVID-19 on peak hour capacity requirements due to potential changes in working patterns.

Alexandra Bridge

A 2017 third-party Life-Cycle Cost Assessment concluded that replacing the 120-year-old Alexandra Bridge is the most cost-effective alternative, as it will have reached the end of its life span within the next 10 years. A recent structural evaluation of the bridge (completed in March 2020) revealed that due to the deterioration of several bridge members, load restrictions were required. Its replacement has become more critical after inspectors found an unexpected structural flaw, which forced the bridge’s closure from May 1 to 23 for emergency repairs. Other repair projects are planned and will be completed to ensure the bridge remains safe and accessible until its replacement.

Sixth crossing

Budget 2019 directed the NCC to “Address the demonstrated need for an additional NCR crossing by refreshing existing studies and developing a long-term integrated interprovincial crossing plan with both provincial governments and the cities of Gatineau and Ottawa.”

With regard to the first commitment, the NCC has completed a refresh of existing technical studies on 3 potential corridors: Kettle Island (Corridor 5), Lower Duck Island (Corridor 6), and McLaurin Bay (Corridor 7). The scope of the refresh included the following 8 technical studies: Noise & Vibration, Land Use, Air Quality, Fisheries & Aquatic Habitat, Transportation, Indigenous History, Economic Development, and Natural Environment.

The purpose of the refresh was not to recommend a specific corridor. Any next steps on a potential sixth crossing project will depend on further planning activities and would leverage the results of the Long-term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan due to be completed in late 2021.

Long Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan

Budget 2019 also announced that the NCC would lead the development of a Long-term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan. The Plan will propose a sustainable and integrated interprovincial mobility framework with a vision from now to 2050. In providing the way forward to achieve the vision and goals of the Plan, the following areas will be addressed:

• New technologies and innovations in interprovincial mobility
• Regional transition toward low-carbon and climate-resilient mobility networks/systems
• Current and future interprovincial travel demands
• Sustainable alternatives for the movement of goods by truck throughout the core area

Timing

The study refresh on a potential sixth crossing has been completed while the Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossing Plan is expected to be completed in late 2021.

We are at the preliminary phase of the Alexandra Bridge replacement project which includes the development of a public engagement strategy and environmental studies and assessments, as required by the Impact Assessment Act.

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