Chief William Commanda Bridge to close for winter on Wednesday
Pedestrian crossing over Ottawa River will be unsafe for public use, city says
The Chief William Commanda Bridge will be closed for winter as of Wednesday.
The pedestrian bridge spanning the Ottawa River will be closed for the duration of the winter season "as it will be unsafe for public use," according to a post on X by the City of Ottawa.
"New gates have been installed and will be used to open and close the bridge in the spring and fall as required," the post continued.
Up to 10 centimetres of snow is expected to fall on Ottawa throughout the day and into the night Wednesday, according to Environment Canada.
The 140-year-old former railway bridge reopened to pedestrians and cyclists last summer after a nearly $24-million revamp.
The bridge was open for a little over three months before being closed for four months last winter, with city staff saying the bridge's steel structure and timber plank surface did not allow for safe plowing, salting or grit operations.
"While staff have explored alternative de-icing products, none have been found to be suitable for the type of structure or the location of the bridge within the source water protection zone," the city said in a memo last month.
This winter, the city hopes to assess whether allowing snow to accumulate could permit the bridge to be kept open for activities such cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.