Usé par 60 ans de sel de voirie, le pont Alexandra d'Ottawa devra être remplacé

Federal officials say six decades of road salt has spelled the end for a 123-year-old interprovincial bridge in Ottawa. In this photo taken using a drone, the Parliament buildings and Ottawa skyline are seen over the Alexandra Bridge as the sun sets, Wednesday, Sept.7, 2022 THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA - Federal officials say six decades of road salt has spelled the end for a 123-year old interprovincial bridge in Ottawa.

The Alexandra Bridge has to be taken down because of rust, officials from the Procurement Department say.

The procurement process for a new bridge will start in the fall, when the public will have a chance to weigh in on three design options.

Officials refused to say how much they think it will cost, but a 2018 assessment suggested a new bridge would come to $800 million.

The bridge opened in 1901, carrying trains, streetcars and horse-drawn wagons.

It's currently closed to vehicles to undergo maintenance work until early next year, and will likely be torn down by 2030.

This report by Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ was first published July 10, 2024.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version provided an incorrect cost estimate for the replacement bridge.

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