Ottawa’s long-awaited Airport Parkway pedestrian bridge has officially opened.

River Ward councillor Maria McRae was among those on hand as the bridge opened to the public, linking the South Keys shopping centre and Transitway station to homes on the other side of the parkway.

Construction on the bridge began in 2011 and was to cost around $5 million, but a series of issues have more than doubled the cost.

Part of it had to be torn down and rebuilt in 2012 because of problems with the concrete in the main tower, then work was halted in 2013 when the city “lost confidence” in design firm Genivar because of concerns about some of its support systems.

The city announced it was suing the firm, now named WSP Canada Inc., for $4.6 million in June — the cost to fix the problems found in 2013.

An unknown number of city staff were also suspended without pay as a result of the bridge’s issues.

The Airport Parkway bridge’s opening on Saturday mirrors the weekend opening of another delayed bridge, the recently-renamed Vimy Memorial Bridge in southwest Ottawa in July.