Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says city bylaw officers will be keeping a closer eye on the Prince of Wales Bridge, and will not hesitate to fine people for trespassing, after new gates on both sides of the Ottawa River were breached just hours after being installed on Tuesday.

The city's contractor has now repaired the gates on both the Gatineau and Ottawa sides, according to city officials.

Watson said it was "completely irresponsible" for people to break the gates, and said it will cost taxpayers more money, and will "endanger people."

"It's illegal, they're trespassing, and … they'll be fined. And you know, maybe it gets to the point where you hit them in the pocket book, it's the only way to stop them from being completely irresponsible," Watson told reporters on Wednesday.

"If you want to go and have a sunset picture, go on another bridge. This bridge is not safe for people to walk by ... So start following the law, respect the fact that it's a safety hazard, and stop wasting taxpayers dollars by going out there and breaking public property."

Stronger, more expensive gates now possible

The city was initially going to spend more than $250,000 to put up gates prohibiting access, but after public outcry the cost was dropped to about $46,000 for gates on Lemieux Island and both sides of the river, according to city officials.

Watson said on Wednesday the city will now "absolutely" consider installing new gates that are more secure, and more expensive.

"We're not going to keep going back … it's going to cost us money every time we go in and fix it. If this continues, then there will have to be a more sturdy gate which will cost more money."

The city bought the bridge a decade ago for $399,000, but Transport Canada still regulates the disused railway crossing and has made it clear it expects the bridge to be barricaded to stop trespassers.

Bridge may have future as transit link

Watson said workers have previously found a diving board and rope swing on the city-owned bridge, and he added the city isn't "interested" in being sued if someone was ever injured.

He also said it would be "completely fiscally irresponsible" to spend "$10.5 million to bring it up to Transport Canada standards for a pedestrian bridge for a few years, just to tear all of that work out and start over with a train bridge."

The area's city councillor, Jeff Leiper, said on Wednesday he was "disappointed" to hear the gate on the bridge had been broken.

"I think one of the things that needs to be clear to residents is that the conversion of that bridge to cycling and pedestrian use is just not in the cards right now," he said.

Leiper added the "long term future" of the bridge is as a transit link between Ottawa and Gatineau.