The official groundbreaking of the Rideau Canal Crossing took place today with the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Yasir Naqvi, Member of Provincial Parliament, Ottawa Centre; and Mayor Jim Watson.

The new pedestrian and cyclist bridge across the Rideau Canal will connect Clegg Street in Old Ottawa East to Fifth Avenue at Queen Elizabeth Drive in the Glebe. The crossing will reduce distances and improve connectivity between mid-town neighbourhoods, provide a safe cycling and walking path for residents, shorten commute times and offer a dedicated active and sustainable transportation route to schools, work, entertainment and shopping sites, such as Lansdowne in the Glebe.

It will also provide an important link to pathways connecting to the City’s O-Train Confederation Line at Hurdman and Lees Transit Stations and support the City’s goals of healthy, sustainable commuting by promoting walking, cycling and transit – allowing more people to travel without the use of cars.

Construction is expected to be completed in two years. This project is a funding partnership between the City, the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario, under the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF) and the Ontario Municipal Commuter Cycling Program (OMCCP). The budget for this project is $21 million; last year the Government of Canada announced that they would contribute $10.5 million towards the Clegg and Fifth Street footbridge, and in June the Province of Ontario also announced it would invest $5 million in the project.

Quotes

“Our government recognizes that we need a solid partnership with all levels of government to support infrastructure projects that help the middle class grow and prosper now and into the future. Being able to cycle or walk safely, efficiently and comfortably around the downtown core is fundamental to economic growth and builds a more inclusive community. I’m very pleased with our $10 million contribution to this project and am excited to see the start of construction of the Rideau Canal Crossing.”

The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

“Today’s announcement is great news for our community. The new Rideau Canal Crossing will bring together Old Ottawa East, the Glebe and Old Ottawa South.‎ It will provide a safe cycling and walking path for our residents, shorten commute times and offer a scenic and environmentally friendly addition to our city's active transportation network over the historic Rideau Canal.”

Yasir Naqvi, MPP Ottawa Centre

“With the new Rideau Canal Crossing, we are connecting communities and giving residents and visitors the freedom to explore the city, get active and save time getting around. Projects like this one demonstrate the progress we are making in Ottawa when all three level of government collaborate on sustainable transportation solutions that benefit our residents and our natural environment.”

Mayor Jim Watson, City of Ottawa

For more information:

Rideau Canal Crossing

Public Transit Infrastructure Fund

Ontario Municipal Commuter Cycling Program