Question Period Note: Capital Region Transportation

Budget 2019 provided funding for the replacement of the Alexandra Bridge, and 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 additional 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 Procurement 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 of Directors 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
• The National Capital Commission will complete a technical update to this Plan in early 2025 which will be based on new regional travel data. This technical update is required to ensure the National Capital Commission can continue to provide the most up-to-date advice, strategies and actions to achieve sustainable interprovincial mobility

If pressed on an additional national capital region crossing:

• Public Services and Procurement Canada and the National Capital Commission are working in close collaboration through the dedicated project office to coordinate the gathering of new information to help the Government of Canada consider its options for an additional National Capital Region crossing
• A commercial vehicle movements study is underway. This new data will be used to help inform the government on its options for an additional National Capital Region crossing
• Public Services and Procurement Canada undertook a field study to collect additional geotechnical data in the Ottawa River. The study was completed in September 2023.The results of the geotechnical study will be used to understand whether the studied sitemay be appropriate to support the structure of a potential crossing

If pressed on replacing the Alexandra bridge:

• Planning activities, including an internally led multi-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

• In February 2021, Public Services and Procurement Canada 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 reports and has committed to proactively publish new reports as the project progresses

• As a result of a competitive process, in May 2023, Public Services and Procurement Canada awarded Arup – a global professional services firm – the Technical Advisor contract for the Alexandra Bridge Replacement project. The Technical Advisor will provide expert advisory services in support of all future project phases, including design, procurement, and construction

If pressed on interprovincial tramway connections:

• As announced in Budget 2021, the National Capital Commission has established an Interprovincial Transit Project Office that will study and plan potential interprovincial tramway connections between Ottawa and Gatineau, in addition to consulting and collaborating with municipal, provincial and transportation partners

If pressed on the Alexandra bridge closure:

• The Government of Canada continues to improve crossings in the National Capital Region and is progressing with the replacement of the Alexandra Bridge
• Public Services and Procurement Canada has been working since the replacement was announced in 2019 on planning and impact assessment activities, and will continue to advance design, procurement and construction of a new crossing to replace the Alexandra Bridge. Construction of the new bridge is anticipated to begin in 2028 and to be operational by 2032
• While the bridge replacement project continues, Public Services and Procurement Canada is carrying out necessary repair work to keep the Alexandra Bridge in service and safe for users until the new bridge is built

There are five Federal vehicular interprovincial crossings in the National Capital Region. Public Services and Procurement Canada 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 National Capital Commission 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 such as cycling or walking). In addition, the implementation and update of the Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan will take into account the impact of the hybrid work model on peak hour needs due to potential changes in travel patterns. The 2023 traffic counts show that the number of vehicles using the bridges are around 90% of pre-covid volumes. However, with the Alexandra Bridge being closed to traffic, the other four bridges are taking on additional traffic and are at or near their pre pandemic volumes. The number of pedestrians has reached a new high, almost 10,000 per day. The number of cyclists has not yet returned to what it was before the pandemic.

The Alexandra Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic to perform essential rehabilitation and repairs to keep the bridge safe and in service until deconstruction from October 2, 2023 to fall 2024