Mona Fortier says a plan to build a new Ottawa-Gatineau bridge in the city’s east end “is not a priority” and risks “worsening traffic” for residents.
The Ottawa–Vanier–Gloucester MP
released a statement
this week arguing that the proposal, which would see a bridge built over Kettle Island, “does not meet Ottawa’s needs.”
The National Capital Commission is currently holding consultations on the proposal, which supporters say could alleviate truck traffic in Lowertown.
But Fortier questions whether it would do much to deter trucks from driving downtown. She said the plan as proposed by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) “does not guarantee the removal of heavy trucks from the King Edward corridor.”
She also claimed that PSPC did not consult the provincial Ministry of Transportation about the capacity of Highway 417, specifically at the interchange with Highway 174.
PSPC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fortier said that studies conducted by the NCC and PSPC to date have not “demonstrated clear benefits for the City of Ottawa.”
She added she has heard concerns about the plan from constituents in several neighbourhoods, including Vanier, Manor Park, Beacon Hill, Sandy Hill and Lowertown.
Fortier’s opposition to the current proposal could put her at loggerheads with other Liberal MPs in the National Capital Region, in particular Gatineau MP Steven MacKinnon,
who has been a vocal supporter of the project
.
Building a new interprovincial bridge in Ottawa’s east end has been a contentious issue for years. In 2012, the NCC proposed the Kittle Island bridge,
but it was later shelved
because of opposition from local politicians and residents in the surrounding areas. The Ontario government
also pulled its support
.
In 2019, the federal government asked the NCC to revive the idea and
geotechnical studies were conducted in 2022
. The federal government then announced it was resurrecting the controversial proposal in
its fall economic statement
, which was released late last year.
Since then, the government has
contracted technical advisors
for the project, which is now in the “pre-planning phase.”
Fortier said connecting Highway 50 in Gatineau to Highway 417 would do more to address truck traffic in downtown Ottawa.
“I will continue to advocate for this project to be re-evaluated,” she wrote. “We must adopt a winning approach for the entire National Capital Region — a modern vision, grounded in up-to-date data, that respects our communities and supports our shared future.”
The NCC, which did not immediately respond to request for comment,
will be holding public consultations
on the bridge proposal until July 10.
