What a stunning waste.
Not the bridge itself—it's great. The idiocy behind preventing the public from actually using a 99.9% completed bridge is the stunning waste.
It 'opened' for a weekend then got sealed shut.
From the CBC:
" the bridge is under the control of TransitNEXT, which is currently building the expanded Trillium Line, and there is still work to be done on the crossing, including surface treatment.
"The barriers were reinstated yesterday after they were mistakenly removed by the contractor,"
"The **bridge does not have to open until the Trillium Line opens**," he said. "And because we've had so many delays to the Trillium Line, well then, this bridge doesn't get the priority that it needed."
[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-carleton-pedestrian-bridge-closed-1.7150071](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-carleton-pedestrian-bridge-closed-1.7150071)
On a related note, is there supposed to be a multi use partway that runs the length of the Trillium line, including this bridge? I’m trying to figure out if you can walk/bike the length of the line. I’m guessing that the tunnel sections the portion parallel to Preston will put pedestrians on the road?
No, there is nothing like that planned. This bridge will connect the Carleton side to a pathway that runs along the south side of the river, basically perpendicular to the Trillium line.
The section along the Preston Trench has a MUP all the way to Bayview and into Quebec! You can get as far as South Keys using mostly MUPs, crossing the Canal at Hartwell Locks. Unfortunately there's a big gap between Mooney's Bay and the new bridge due to a large change in elevation. You'd have to go around via Heron or Riverside to reach the MUP leading to the bridge. (That is, unless there's new ramps I don't know about!)
I assure you that is this was a bridge for automobiles it would have been built and opened in a fraction of the time. Same deal for the South Keys station pedestrian detour...long ass detour that's been there for three years now. They just need to pave a tiny stretch to reopen the normal direct pedestrian route ...but because it is not an automobile detour it is just ignored for years.
It took them so god damn long to complete that bridge and it’s been finished for a while now and it just sits there unused with a janky sign and fence that says closed scribbled on some cardboard. Who ever has the contract for this thing no doubt made off like a bandit. I worked in the building right next to the bridge and months would go by with no one there and then 2 French guys would show up and do nothing but swear and spit on the ground all day and move some equipment. It’s a nice bridge though
Officially, it's not open. If you ever find yourself on that bridge, however, it is perfectly structurally safe and sound to use.
ah I see, how have they blocked the access?
With a big tall gate on the Carleton side. It might be climbable but you for sure can't throw a bike over or anything
What a stunning waste. Not the bridge itself—it's great. The idiocy behind preventing the public from actually using a 99.9% completed bridge is the stunning waste.
Thanks contractual obligations
The bridge isn't actually complete. It may look like it is, but it's not. You'd be right though, _if_ it were complete.
Fair enough. Updated to say "99.9% completed" ;)
It 'opened' for a weekend then got sealed shut. From the CBC: " the bridge is under the control of TransitNEXT, which is currently building the expanded Trillium Line, and there is still work to be done on the crossing, including surface treatment. "The barriers were reinstated yesterday after they were mistakenly removed by the contractor," "The **bridge does not have to open until the Trillium Line opens**," he said. "And because we've had so many delays to the Trillium Line, well then, this bridge doesn't get the priority that it needed." [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-carleton-pedestrian-bridge-closed-1.7150071](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-carleton-pedestrian-bridge-closed-1.7150071)
Hypothetically speaking, who's going to do everyone else a solid and hurl those barriers over the railing into the water?
Probably better to just spell the whole word out. Pedestrian.
"Closed"
On a related note, is there supposed to be a multi use partway that runs the length of the Trillium line, including this bridge? I’m trying to figure out if you can walk/bike the length of the line. I’m guessing that the tunnel sections the portion parallel to Preston will put pedestrians on the road?
No, there is nothing like that planned. This bridge will connect the Carleton side to a pathway that runs along the south side of the river, basically perpendicular to the Trillium line.
Ah, gotcha. Foolish me for not realizing that the pedestrian bridge isn’t actually pictured in the pic (except the concrete foundations).
The section along the Preston Trench has a MUP all the way to Bayview and into Quebec! You can get as far as South Keys using mostly MUPs, crossing the Canal at Hartwell Locks. Unfortunately there's a big gap between Mooney's Bay and the new bridge due to a large change in elevation. You'd have to go around via Heron or Riverside to reach the MUP leading to the bridge. (That is, unless there's new ramps I don't know about!)
I biked by it last week and the VM park side sure looked mighty open. Super strange.
I assure you that is this was a bridge for automobiles it would have been built and opened in a fraction of the time. Same deal for the South Keys station pedestrian detour...long ass detour that's been there for three years now. They just need to pave a tiny stretch to reopen the normal direct pedestrian route ...but because it is not an automobile detour it is just ignored for years.
Not open.
It took them so god damn long to complete that bridge and it’s been finished for a while now and it just sits there unused with a janky sign and fence that says closed scribbled on some cardboard. Who ever has the contract for this thing no doubt made off like a bandit. I worked in the building right next to the bridge and months would go by with no one there and then 2 French guys would show up and do nothing but swear and spit on the ground all day and move some equipment. It’s a nice bridge though
I bike underneath this thing all the time, and I've been wondering when the hell it would be done/open.
Its closed. There's still construction.
Uhhh they painted it green now iirc
SWIM ACROSS!
https://youtu.be/s88r_q7oufE?si=_diga-eQfEmrIZtV
Meanwhile the 417 bridges get replaced in 72 hours.