Ottawa mulls 2 new pedestrian bridges

The City of Ottawa is considering building two new pedestrian bridges to span its waterways and connect neighbourhoods.

One bridge would span the Rideau Canal between Fifth Avenue and Clegg Street, and the second would cross the Rideau River between Somerset Street East and Donald Street.

The city's transportation department is asking councillors to allocate $1 million to look into the feasibility of building the bridges.

That request comes three years after pedestrians and cyclists first started crossing the Corktown Bridge, which connects Somerset Street West and the University of Ottawa. That bridge faced fierce opposition, largely because of its $5-million price tag.

Still, according to a study conducted by the city in October 2007, more than 2,000 people cross the Corktown Bridge each day.

Bridge 'key' for Lansdowne redevelopment

Peter Hume, chair of the city's planning committee, said the proposed bridge between Fifth Avenue and Clegg Street should be a key ingredient in the plan to redevelop Lansdowne Park.

That plan would see the park's Frank Clair football stadium renovated, greenspace expanded, and condo towers, townhouses, a movie theatre, shops and restaurants built through a public-private partnership between the City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group.

"If we're going to make Lansdowne Park into something for all the citizens of Ottawa, these types of pedestrian connections are what's needed," Hume said.

The city's audit, budget and finance committee will consider the request for funding to study the bridges' feasibility next week.