Chief William Commanda Bridge to close for winter on Tuesday

The Chief William Commanda Bridge is seen in this 2023 image. (CTV News Ottawa)

The Chief William Commanda Bridge will be closing again this winter, the City of Ottawa says, but if enough snow falls, city staff could look at how to keep it open for activities like cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.

The bridge remained open Monday following Sunday’s record-breaking snowstorm, but city staff say the bridge will close at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

“To ensure the safety of residents, new gates have been installed to prevent access to the bridge, as well as signage identifying the closure. City staff will monitor weather patterns and will use the gates to open and/or close the bridge during the spring and fall seasons, as required,” the City of Ottawa said in a news release Monday.

In a memo sent last Thursday outlining the city’s winter operations, Alain Gonthier, general manager of Public Works, said staff will continue to explore options to allow for snow retention and grooming on the bridge this winter.

“Staff will monitor the bridge over the upcoming winter season, and if there is sufficient snow accumulation, will consider conducting a test grooming,” Gonthier wrote.

The city says the bridge, which underwent a multimillion-dollar refurbishment to turn it into a pedestrian and cycling pathway that opened in 2023, is not equipped for normal plowing, salting or grit operations in winter, making it potentially unsafe.

Despite gates and signage identifying the closure in past seasons, some residents have broken or bypassed the gates to cross the bridge during the winter months.

The city has said since the first winter closure in 2023 that it intended to explore the possibility of winter use.

The city blamed below-average levels of snowfall and higher than normal temperatures in the winter of 2023-24 for preventing staff from being able to assess the feasibility of alternate maintenance to accommodate winter activities.

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