A replacement design has been chosen for the soon-to-be-demolished Alexandra Bridge by the National Capital Commission.
The winning design, “Motion,” was one of three possible designs to reconnect Gatineau to Ottawa once the century-old steel bridge is torn down, which is expected to take place in 2028. The new replacement is hoped to be completed by 2032.
The chosen design has three arches and “is inspired by the flow of the Ottawa River and in particular, the eel,” the project’s architect Martin Knight previously told this newspaper. Its design “ripples up and down from end to end … and reflects the eel’s motion.”
First built in 1901, years of road salt use have corroded the structure of the Alexandra Bridge to a point it can no longer be repaired. Later this year, it is expected to reopen to vehicle traffic after a new round of repairs to extend its life a little further. The bridge carries about 10 per cent of vehicle traffic between Ontario and Quebec when it’s open.
The Ottawa River is home to the American eel, an endangered species that once teemed through the waterway. In the last 40 years, the population of the creatures has collapsed by 99 per cent.
— With files from Blair Crawford
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