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 refreshing technical studies on a potential 6th interprovincial crossing in the National Capital Region and developing a Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan.

• The government continues to improve the condition of interprovincial crossings in the National Capital Region
  • Public Services and Procurment Canada is working closely with the National Capital Commission, the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau, and other partners to ensure federal bridges in the National Capital Region are safely and effectively serving Canadians

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

• The National Capital Commission developed the Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan, in collaboration with the City of Ottawa, la Ville de Gatineau, the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, transit authorities, and other stakeholders
• The plan, approved by the National Capital Commission’s board in January 2022, confirmed the vision, policies and infrastructure priorities for sustainable interprovincial travel for a 2050 planning horizon
• The Plan will serve to inform decisions around regional transportation in ways that are sustainable, equitable, environmentally sensitive and work towards creating a more liveable and prosperous National Capital Region

If pressed on an additional National Capital Region crossing:

• The National Capital Commission has recently approved a Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan that was developed in close collaboration with its partners to support decision-making at all levels of government based on continued data collection, including such elements as post-pandemic commuting patterns
• Much work has been done since Budget 2019: the National Capital Commission refreshed the 2013 studies; Public Services and Procurement Canada reviewed the cost estimates and the evaluation of corridors; and the Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan was completed and approved by the NCC’s Board of Directors
• Changing mobility patterns throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the result of the Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan outlined the need to update residential and commercial mobility pattern data, which is now more than ten years old
• Additional data will continue to be sought to ensure that the Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan remains current and informs planning for an additional National Capital Region crossing
• Budget 2021 mandated Public Services and Procurement Canada to establish a dedicated project office responsible for addressing the need for an additional National Capital Region crossing, jointly with the National Capital Commission. The project office was established in Fall 2021
• At this stage, Public Services and Procurement Canada and the National Capital Commission are working in close collaboration through the project office to coordinate the gathering of new information to help the Government of Canada consider its options for an additional National Capital Region (NCR) crossing

If pressed on replacing the Alexandra Bridge:

• Planning activities, including the 5-6 year Impact Assessment process, are underway to replace the Alexandra Bridge, with construction of the new bridge scheduled to begin in 2028. In the meantime, inspections and repair work continue to ensure the bridge remains safe and accessible until it is replaced
• Public Services and Procurement Canada and the National Capital Commission hosted public consultations in November 2020 and November-December 2021, which included numerous local stakeholder groups and engagement with Indigenous groups
• Public Services and Procurement Canada and the National Capital Commission will continue to host public consultations and engage with stakeholders throughout the different stages of the project, which will inform the Impact Assessment and design phases to deliver a new bridge that meets the community’s needs
• In February 2021, PSPC proactively published on its website the executive summary of the cost analysis study in order to be transparent about the data behind the decision to replace the bridge, and the Department has since made available other existing reports and has committed to proactively publish new reports as the project progresses

If pressed on interprovincial tramway connections:

• As announced in Budget 2021, the National Capital Commission has established an interprovincial transit project office within the National Capital Commission that will study and plan for potential interprovincial tramway connections between Ottawa and Gatineau, in addition to consulting and collaborating with municipal, provincial, and transportation partners
• In alignment with visions set in the 2013 Interprovincial Transit Strategy – jointly developed by the National Capital Commission, the Société de Transport de l’Outaouais and the City of Ottawa – and the National Capital Commission’s Plan for Canada’s Capital, 2017-2067, this initiative, along with a confluence of transportation initiatives currently underway, offers an opportunity to rethink connections within the urban core of the National Capital Region

There are 5 vehicular interprovincial crossings in the National Capital Region. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) manages and operates the Alexandra Bridge (built in 1901), Chaudière Crossing (with the Union Bridge, built in 1919, being the oldest of the 8 structures that together constitute the crossing) 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 vehicular 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 implementation of, and updates to, 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 work related travel patterns.

Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan

Developed in consultation with regional, municipal, provincial and federal agencies, stakeholders and the public, the vision for the Plan sets a sustainable path to achieve common goals and objectives under five strategic pillars:

• One Region (Transportation Integration)
• Sustainable Use of Crossing Infrastructure
• Environment and Climate Change
• Economy
• Quality of Life

The Plan includes key directions, strategies and initiatives to help the region achieve these goals and objectives, and to monitor progress toward short-, medium-, and long-term targets.

The NCC will continue to collaborate with agencies to implement the Plan, which involves the following activities:

• An update to the travel and goods movement data
• Development of a monitoring plan to evaluate how the Plan is performing
• Prioritization and implementation of strategies
• Study of alternative governance models
• Update to the Plan once new data are available

Current travel and goods movement data are essential to avoiding uncertainties and for improving planning for the future of sustainable transportation in the National Capital Region.

An Additional National Capital Region Crossing

Budget 2019 directed the NCC to “Address the demonstrated need for an additional National Capital Region 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, in 2020 the NCC completed a refresh of existing technical studies on three 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 additional National Capital Region crossing project will depend on further planning activities and would leverage the results of the Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan, completed and approved by the National Capital Commission’s Board of Directors in winter 2022.

WSP Canada Group Limited was awarded the contract by the National Capital Commission to refresh the 2013 technical studies previously mentioned on a potential additional National Capital Region crossing at a cost of approximately $440,000.

Again, the purpose of the refresh was not to recommend a specific corridor, but rather to inform any future government consideration of an additional National Capital Region crossing project.

Separately, 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 (this work cost $1,384,037). These reports relied on the findings of the NCC’s refreshed studies.

Over a six-month period starting in August 2022, Public Services and Procurement Canada is also planning to undertake a geotechnical field study to collect additional geotechnical data in the Ottawa River. The results of the geotechnical study will be used to understand whether a site may be appropriate to support the structure of a potential crossing.

During the work period, there will be barges on the Ottawa River in the east end of Ottawa–Gatineau near Kettle Island, Lower Duck Island and McLaurin Bay. Crews will access the work site from a dedicated launch point. No impact to the shoreline or neighbouring communities is anticipated.

Further studies on travel patterns, such as an Origin Destination Survey, will be undertaken starting in fall 2022. A commercial vehicle movements study will also follow at a later date. This new data will be used to help inform the government on its options for an additional NCR crossing.

Alexandra Bridge

The Government of Canada is committed to maintaining the integrity of its infrastructure, while ensuring the safety of its assets and conserving its heritage. PSPC’s Heritage Conservation Services celebrates 50 years of providing advice, guidance and assistance to Government clients, enabling them to comply with their Treasury Board obligations on the management and disposal of federal heritage designated assets. These services have made complex and delicate contributions to the completed West Block project, as well as their ongoing involvement in the East Block, Centre Block and the Supreme Court of Canada projects. Those efforts extend beyond the National Capital Region where numerous assets are being conserved such as the Province House in Charlottetown.

While the Alexandra Bridge is designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Site by the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, the Bridge is over 120 years old and is nearing the end of its lifecycle. The decision to replace this beloved bridge was not taken lightly.

A 2017 third-party Life-Cycle Cost Assessment looked at 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, as well as more economical, than attempting to maintain the existing bridge.

A 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 became more critical after inspectors found an unexpected structural flaw, which forced the bridge’s closure for several weeks in 2020, for emergency repairs. Other repair projects are planned and will be completed to ensure the bridge remains safe and accessible until its replacement.

The preliminary cost estimates of the various potential replacement options were also released, although they are not final and have increased over time as forecast by PSPC internal experts. An additional study is underway to asses the feasibility of maintaining the bridge. The study is not intended to reassess the government’s decision to replace the bridge. The intention is to confirm our expert opinion that maintaining the structure another 75 years would be extremely complex and high risk and that the impacts in terms of heritage, costs and environmental may be similar or greater than a replacement project. The preliminary conclusion of the study is that the government continues with the replacement project. PSPC and the NCC will work together to consult and coordinate with our partners including the City of Gatineau, the City of Ottawa, Indigenous communities as well as other stakeholders and jurisdictions to develop a comprehensive plan to reduce impacts to the public and businesses while the bridge is replaced.

The planning and impact assessment activities for this replacement project are underway. The project team will continue to publish studies proactively as the project progresses.

Chaudière Crossing upcoming works

Planned projects include the widening of the Hull Causeway and a major rehabilitation for the 100 year old Union Bridge. The work will take place from July 2021 to Summer 2023. A positive outcome of this work will be the addition of dedicated cyclist lanes on these two bridges thereby creating dedicated cycling lanes on the entire length of the Chaudière Crossing.

From early spring 2022 to Summer 2023, traffic will be limited during the construction period to public transit and active transportation towards Ottawa. All non-commercial vehicles, and local delivery vehicles, less than 33 tons, will be authorized on the Chaudière Crossing going north towards Gatineau. All other commercial vehicles will be required to use the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge.

Champlain Bridge upcoming works

The Champlain Bridge is the westernmost of the interprovincial bridges. It connects the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway in Ottawa and Chemin d’Aylmer in Gatineau. Built between 1924 and 1928, the bridge carries approximately 22 percent of all motor vehicle traffic and 5 percent of all pedestrians and cyclists across the Ottawa River in the National Capital Region.

The NCC is repairing and repaving the Champlain Bridge. The bridge has not undergone major reconstruction since it was widened to a three-lane crossing in 2002. Currently, various components of the bridge require rehabilitation as part of life cycle repair and maintenance. The NCC will also enhance the existing cycle track to a higher level of safety.

As of August 17, 2022, the east lane of the bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic for rehabilitation work on the bridge until November 2022. To minimize impact and disruption to active users and vehicular traffic, the work is being completed in phases and two lanes of traffic will be maintained throughout the work. Cyclists and pedestrians will continue to have access to the bridge. Motorists can expect delays as the open lanes will be narrower, and the maximum speed limit will be reduced to 40 km/h. Road signage will be in place.

Portage Bridge works

Built in 1973 and expanded in 1988, the Portage Bridge is a major commuter route over the Ottawa River for interprovincial travel between Ontario and Quebec (Ottawa and Gatineau). On average, the bridge carries approximately 40,000 vehicles a day. The bridge’s cycling lanes are used by over 300,000 cyclists per year, with the number of cyclists increasing by 4 percent each year.

Over a period of two years, 2018 and 2019, the NCC rehabilitated the asphalt surface and enhanced the cycle track of the Portage Bridge. This work aimed at improving safety and user comfort. It will also extend the bridge service life until the need for major reconstruction in 10 to 25 years.

As part of regular life-cycle management activities, the NCC carried out inspection work on the bridge from August 21 to 27 that required overnight lane closures. To minimize the impact of this work on bridge users, two traffic lanes remained open in each direction throughout this period. The bridge remained accessible to cyclists and pedestrians as usual.

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