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As you are probably aware, Minister Steven MacKinnon announced on January 30, 2025, as a follow-up to the Fall Economic Statement to the effect that Kettle Island (Corridor 5) had been selected as the future location of the new interprovincial bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau, now known as the “Eastern Bridge.” Here are the main takeaways from this announcement:

• It is now official that Kettle Island (C-5) has been chosen as the location for the Sixth Interprovincial Crossing.

•  In the words of Minister MacKinnon, “The project under study has become the construction project.”1

• This first eastern bridge could be operational between 2032 and 2034.

• The announced Implementation Plan includes the following steps:

  • 2019 to 2026: Preliminary planning

  • 2026 to 2028: Planning and Design

  • 2027 to 2028: Procurement

  • 2029 to 2034: Final design and construction

  • 2034: Bridge operational

• The federal government has allocated $221 M to the pre-construction phases to be carried out until 2028.

•  An Impact Assessment will be conducted during the planning stages before construction can begin.

• While the project has been studied for over 70 years, starting with the Gréber Plan in the 1950s, the issue could again be at the heart of the upcoming election campaign.

• Starting immediately, the NCC will conduct public consultations so that all interested parties can have their voices heard. However, this bridge is needed to address the long-standing security and pollution problem of the daily 3500 trucks circulating between downtown Ottawa and downtown Hull.

• To that end, the NCC has assigned a special advisor to the PSPC Bridge Project Office.

• Minister McKinnon remarked that any project cancellation at this stage would have to be justified by any new administration, given the time and public money already spent on this issue.
  
  

More details can be found in the Public Services and Procurement Canada Press Release published on January 30, 2025 (https://www.canada.ca/en/public-services-procurement/news/2025/01/a-first-bridge-east-of-the-national-capital-region.html)

1 – Minister Steve MacKinnon Announces New Interprovincial Bridge in Gatineau, CPAC, January 30, 2025 (https://www.cpac.ca/headline-politics/episode/minister-steve-mackinnon-announces-new-interprovincial-bridge-in-gatineau?id=53ef7615-aa95-426a-8950-9b4df2ad26ec)

In a related radio interview with Michel Langevin from station 104,7 Outaouais (Spécifications concernant le pont dans l'est — 104.7 Outaouais), Minister MacKinnon provided further details, as follows:

1 - The project is actually going ahead, with specific timelines and funds earmarked for the pre-construction and planning stages.

2 - Support for the project is growing:

• Stéphanie Plante, City Councilor for Rideau-Vanier is on board.

• Ontario Provincial Government also (the Minister spoke to Ontario's Finance Minister).

• Some Conservative MPs (according to informal discussions on Parliament Hill) seem favorable to the idea of an eastern bridge.
  

3 - The Minister recognizes that there will be opposition to the project. The government is not looking for unanimity but rather consensus.
4 - The bridge has been the most studied in Canadian history (since 1915), so practically every aspect has been covered.
5 - Critical environmental issues, such as protecting the western chorus frog, are considered, and three feasible options for the layout of the crossing are one pillar on Kettle Island, going around it, or over it.
6 - The Montée Paiement and the Aviation Parkway were expressly built to accommodate a new bridge in the East End, per the Ottawa and Gatineau municipal plans. Of course, some modifications will be required, but the federal government will foot the bill.
7 - The Minister said the bridge project would be part of the Liberal Party platform for the upcoming federal election.

Finally, another article published on February 13, 2025, provides some context about the government announcement of January 30, 2025, and a few more specifics concerning the pre-construction phase, namely:

• Because the project will build on existing roads, the Montée Paiement–Aviation Parkway Corridor has the smallest link footprint and offers a faster planning schedule and better proximity to existing commercial properties on both sides of the Ottawa River.
  

• To proceed with the next planning and design activities for the bridge, the government published a request for proposals for the professional services of a technical advisor on December 31. The technical advisor will support the development of the procurement strategy for the project.
  

• Meanwhile, the government says it intends to hold public consultations to gather the comments of citizens, Indigenous communities and stakeholders, to ensure harmonious development while minimizing the impact on communities.

Follow this link for the full article: https://www.link2build.ca/news/articles/2025/february/federal-government-starts-pre-planning-work-for-new-interprovincial-bridge-in-national-capital-region/#

Although this announcement represents a significant step forward, the upcoming federal election still maintains a degree of uncertainty in this matter, so we must remain vigilant and keep a close eye on any new developments. Of course, we will keep you posted every step of the way.

Foreword 

This website contains all the information you need to be aware of the project and the impact it could have on you and your neighbourhood but the bridge project is constantly evolving, sometimes quite rapidly. We will keep you up-to-date on new developments under the ‘Latest News’ Section above. 

The Big Picture

• The federal government is moving forward with plans to build an interprovincial bridge over the Ottawa River and through the Greenbelt that will have a huge impact not only on all east-end communities but also on the City of Ottawa’s transportation planning and traffic infrastructure. 

• Any bridge in the Greenbelt would have significant environmental, social, community health, and financial consequences for the neighbouring communities.

• The proposed bridge locations will increase traffic congestion on the already overburdened 417 and 174 highway routes, resulting in longer commute times for east-end residents.

• The government’s own traffic studies show that any east-end bridge will not resolve the truck issue downtown. Recently, the political conversation has shifted from a bridge to resolve the truck traffic in downtown Ottawa to improving interprovincial traffic flow.

• All four municipal councillors of the east end of Ottawa and the Member of Parliament for Orléans, Marie-France Lalonde, have promised to support the Interprovincial Crossing Committee of the Convent Glen – Orléans Wood Community Association (the “Bridge Committee”) in its efforts to stop the construction of a bridge in the Greenbelt.   

• The much-loved recreational space provided by the eastern part of the Greenbelt will be significantly altered, with a great reduction in the recreational network and environmental landscape frequently used by residents.

• The eastern part of the Greenbelt will be destroyed, causing environmental and ecological impacts on water, soil, and habitats. Therefore, our main message is: 

No Bridge in the Greenbelt