A Tale of Two Cities and Many Bridges

BY JUSTIN GOULDING, MOBYCON & LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS COMMITTEE

The waterways that make the National Capital Region so wonderful and unique are also the reason that bridges are so important to tying the two cities together as well as for moving around within them. The Ottawa River, Rideau River, Gatineau River, and Rideau Canal are all integral focal points for the region, but they also pose significant transportation challenges—and sometimes opportunities. In order to address some of these challenges, bridges are critical connection points that always seem to be in short supply. However, particularly in recent years, both Ottawa and Gatineau have been working hard to create bold and transformative connections—especially for active transportation—that make these beautiful waterways less of a barrier and more of an asset.

In order to help explore the context and impact of these bridges, CITE will be offering conference delegates the opportunity to take a bus tour of bridge projects across the Capital Region. This unique tour will showcase points of interests for practitioners with a variety of interests. The tour will include a variety of bridge types creating an opportunity to explore planning and design challenges and wins, as well as a discussion of construction obstacles.

Tour stops will include the Vimy Memorial Bridge built in 2014 and the 2015 winner of the Gustav Lindenthal Medal. This bridge provides a valuable connection between the rapidly growing neighborhoods of Barrhaven and Riverside South. It includes facilities for a growing share of active transportation users and adds to the expanding network throughout the suburban neighborhoods of Ottawa.

Vimy Memorial Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge

Saffron Blaze

In a more urban context, the tour will visit the newest addition in Ottawa, the multi-use pedestrian & cyclist Flora Footbridge. Increasing the connectivity across the Rideau Canal between two of Ottawa’s downtown neighborhoods and featuring a lookout area and bold architectural design, this bridge is poised to quickly become an Ottawa landmark.

Multi-use pedestrian and cyclist Flora Footbridge

City of Ottawa

From the brand new to the quite old, the Pont Noir in Gatineau is a 100+ year old bridge that has recently been retrofitted to better support bikes, pedestrians, and buses at the same time in the same space. This project is sure to inspire those who wish to improve multimodal connectivity while conserving the inherent value of historic structures within our cities.

Pont Noir in Gatineau, Quebec

Andre Vandal

This tour will provide an incredible view of both cities in the National Capital as well as the diversity of bridges across them both. With many points of discussion along with a variety of facilities and design configuration, it will be a highlight for any participants interested in creating connections in their city. Sign up for this and many other tours and events when you register for CITE 2019!