Government of Canada sets major milestones for replacement of Alexandra Bridge

Press Release

From: Public Services and Procurement Canada

October 1, 2024

The Government of Canada continues to invest in and improve transportation and mobility in the National Capital Region (NCR) and is making headway with its commitment to replace the Alexandra Bridge.

Today, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, the National Capital Commission (NCC) and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) officials presented 3 proposed designs for the new bridge to the NCC Board of Directors as a lead-up to public consultations for the replacement of the Alexandra Bridge, to be held from October 1 to 24, 2024.

The integrated project team, made up of experts from PSPC and the NCC as well as a technical advisor, will meet members of the public at 2 open houses:

• October 2, 2024, from 4 to 9 pm
  • Canadian Museum of History, River View Salon, 100 Laurier Street, Gatineau, Quebec
• October 3, 2024, from 4 to 9 pm
  • Shaw Centre, Gatineau Salon, 55 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario

Replacing the Alexandra Bridge is a complex project that requires all stakeholders to come together, and it will depend on input received through public consultations. The project team has reviewed a wide range of potential solutions in recent years. The designs were developed according to performance criteria for the bridge’s design and comments from the public, Indigenous communities and stakeholders. Following a multi-criteria assessment, 3 designs were retained.

Rendez vous draws attention to the river as a foundational environmental and social component of the landscape. Its clean, contemporary lines lend prominence to its intersection with other features of the landscape, such as the escarpment on the south shore, Jacques Cartier Park and the Gatineau Hills, which are clearly visible from the bridge and lookouts on both sides of the river.

Echo sensitively reinterprets features of the Alexandra Bridge, preserving a strong connection to the past. Some of the structural logic, form and pattern of the bridge is inspired by the Algonquin birchbark canoe.

Motion is inspired by the American eel and pays homage to the river’s ever-changing, dynamic movement. The design’s 3 defining rolling arches allude to the river’s flowing water, the contours of the shoreline and adjacent escarpment, and the curved façade of the Canadian Museum of History.

For more information on each of the design concepts, visit the NCC’s web page dedicated to the public consultations.

The comments received during the consultations will enable us to propose a recommendation as to the final design. The final proposal should be submitted in spring 2025 for approval by the NCC Board of Directors, in keeping with its federal regulatory authority.

In the next few weeks, we will also launch the procurement process needed to demolish the current bridge and to design and construct the replacement bridge. Interested firms will be invited to respond to the upcoming request for qualifications.

Quotes

“The Alexandra Bridge is a vital link in the National Capital Region that connects communities on both sides of the Ottawa River. The new design will not only focus on the historic and unique framework of the current bridge, but also offer modern, sustainable and efficient commuting options. This will have a positive impact on the quality of life and economic prosperity in the area for generations to come.”

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant

Quick facts

• The current Alexandra Bridge is 120 years old. It is reaching the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced.
• The main cause of deterioration is long-term exposure to the elements and salt from winter de-icing and splashing from vehicles. In spite of mitigation efforts and various investments over the years to slow down the structure’s deterioration, corrosion has set in and is spreading quickly.
• We have ordered a number of studies and reports on the Alexandra Bridge’s replacement in recent years to help us plan and make decisions based on evidence.
• A progressive design build is a collaborative approach that will enable the progressive design build team (architecture, engineering and construction) to work with the integrated project team, a working group made up of PSPC and NCC representatives and a technical advisor, to bring the design to completion and further develop the project requirements.
• The replacement work should begin in 2028, and the new bridge should be operational in 2032. A complete project calendar can be found on the web page dedicated to the Alexandra Bridge replacement project.

Associated links

• Alexandra Bridge replacement project
• Alexandra Bridge Replacement Planning and Design Principles
• Alexandra Bridge Replacement: Performance Criteria for Bridge Design
• Alexandra Bridge: Boardwalk and articulation repair project
• National Capital Commission approval for projects in the Capital

Contacts
Guillaume Bertrand
Acting Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
418-564-9571
guillaume.bertrand@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

Media Relations
Public Services and Procurement Canada
819-420-5501
media@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca

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