Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and the National Capital Commission (NCC) presented three 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.
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, three designs were retained.
“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,” said Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement.
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 (pictured) 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.
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.
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.
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.
Featured image: Motion – one of three proposed designs to replace the Alexandra Bridge. (PSPC)
