Question Period Note: National Capital Region Transportation

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is committed to maintaining and renewing its interprovincial infrastructure within the National Capital Region (NCR) to address increasing and evolving regional traffic patterns and respond to citizens’ priorities for more and better active mobility, public transit and vehicular crossings.

• The interprovincial crossings are vital links between Ottawa and Gatineau, and are considered critical to the overall functioning of the NCR
• The government continues to improve the condition of interprovincial crossings in the NCR. PSPC is working closely with the NCC, the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau, and other partners to ensure federal bridges in the NCR are safely and effectively serving Canadians
• PSPC is taking steps to improve and increase the crossing capacity in the region through the replacement of the Alexandra Bridge and exploring the potential for an additional crossing. These efforts will also help address concerns relating to commercial truck traffic, and provide for more and better active and public transportation crossing capacity

If pressed on an additional NCR crossing:

• Studies have shown that there has been a consistent need for an additional crossing in the NCR
• PSPC and the NCC are working in closely through the dedicated project office to help the Government of Canada consider and develop its options for this crossing, including field studies of potential sites

If pressed on replacing the Alexandra Bridge:

• The Alexandra Bridge is a vital transportation link for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. The bridge has reached the end of its service life and is due for replacement
• In June 2021, the NCC’s Board of Directors approved the planning and design principles for the replacement of the Bridge. These principles provide guidance in the areas of planning, heritage protection, urban design and sustainability
• Conceptual design options for the replacement bridge are being developed and public consultations will begin the summer of 2024

If pressed on the long-term integrated interprovincial crossings plan:

• The NCC developed the Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan, with a 2050 planning horizon, in collaboration with the City of Ottawa, la Ville de Gatineau, the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, transit authorities, and other stakeholders and it was approved in January 2022
• The Plan will be updated in 2025 based on new regional travel data. This is required to ensure the NCC continues to provide the most up-to-date advice, strategies and actions to achieve sustainable interprovincial mobility

If pressed on the Gatineau tramway:

• Through its public transit office established following the 2021 federal budget, the National Capital Commission continues to work with partners to advance studies for a dedicated public transportation system
• This initiative, along with a confluence of transportation initiatives currently underway, offers an opportunity to rethink connections within the urban core of the NCR

There are five federal vehicular interprovincial crossings in the National Capital Region (NCR). 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 National Capital Commission (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 such as cycling or walking).

These bridges are aging and were built in an era when the NCR had a much smaller population, fewer interprovincial commuters and far less congestion due to truck traffic. PSPC continues to advance work to increase crossing capacity, to address interprovincial truck traffic and to respond to citizens’ priorities for more and better pedestrian and cycling networks.

The 2023 traffic counts show that the number of vehicles using the bridges are around 90% of pre-covid volumes. Truck traffic issues in the downtown Ottawa core continue to persist. The closure of the Alexandra Bridge to traffic for repairs (and for its eventual replacement) have the other four bridges 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. Additional capacity is required to alleviate these issues.

For years, there has been a consistent need for an additional crossing in the NCR. PSPC and the NCC are working in close collaboration to coordinate the gathering of new information to consider and develop options for an additional NCR crossing.

The Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan, developed by the NCC and approved by its Board in 2022, confirmed the vision for the region. 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 changes in travel patterns and will inform the configuration of the additional crossing, need for improved interprovincial public transit and the replacement of the Alexandra Bridge.

The Alexandra Bridge is nearing the end of its service life and is due for replacement. Exposure to natural elements and salt, as well as continued usage, have impacted the bridge structure. Despite several recent repair projects and regular maintenance, inspections and studies have shown that the state of the bridge has continued to deteriorate.

• The Alexandra Bridge is currently closed to vehicular traffic until winter 2025 to perform essential repairs
• PSPC and the NCC are currently in the planning and design phase of the Alexandra Bridge replacement project. Various design concepts are being assessed and consultation with the public will occur in the summer of 2024
• PSPC is in the preliminary phases of exploring the potential for an additional crossing in the NCR that will respond to evolving traffic patterns and projected regional and population growth in the area
• The widening of the Hull Causeway on the Chaudière Crossing is part of efforts to improve cycling and pedestrian safety. PSPC also undertook a major rehabilitation of the Union Bridge at the same time so that traffic impacts were minimized
• Budget 2021 mandated the National Capital Commission (NCC) to establish an interprovincial transit project office that will study and plan for potential interprovincial tramway connections between Ottawa and Gatineau