Airport Parkway pedestrian bridge opens after several delays

Ottawas long-awaited Airport Parkway pedestrian bridge has officially opened.

River Ward councillor Maria McRae was among those on hand as thebridge opened to the public, linking the South Keys shopping centre and Transitway station to homes on the other side of the parkway.

• Airport Parkway bridge to be demolished and rebuilt
• Airport Parkway pedestrian bridge project suspended
• City files $4.6M lawsuit against Airport Parkway bridge designer

Construction on the bridge began in 2011 and was to cost around $5 million, but a series of issues have more than doubled the cost.

Part of ithad to be torn down and rebuilt in 2012because of problems with the concrete in the main tower, thenwork was halted in 2013when the city lost confidence in design firmGenivarbecause of concerns about some of its support systems.

The city announced it was suing the firm, now named WSP Canada Inc., for $4.6 million in June the cost to fix the problems found in 2013.

An unknown number of city staff were also suspended without pay as a result of the bridges issues.

The Airport Parkway bridges opening on Saturday mirrors the weekend opening of another delayed bridge, the recently-renamedVimyMemorial Bridge in southwest Ottawa in July.