Cyclists pumped for seemingly imminent opening of car-free bridge

Jeff Leiper is the sort of active transportation advocatewho posts time-lapse videos of his Ottawa bike commutes on social media.

So, yes, theKitchissippiward councillor isexcited about the prospect of soon riding acrossthe Ottawa River on therehabilitatedand renamedChief William Commanda Bridge, located just north of the Bayview LRT station.

Leiper's even worried the much-delayed opening the date of which remains unconfirmed will happen while he's away on summer vacation.

"We're all wildly impatient," he said on Friday. "I want to be the first, right? Everyone wants to be the first over this bridge."

Previous opening targets missed

City councillorsvoted in July 2021 torename the former train crossing connecting Ottawa to Gatineau, which was previously known as the Prince of Wales Bridge, in honour of WilliamCommanda as an act of reconciliation.

Commanda wasanAlgonquin elder in the Ottawa area who served as Chief of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation from 1951 to 1970.

My birthday is mid-July, so it would have been a nice birthday present.- Cyclist Margaret Delicate

Once slated for fall 2022, the bridge opening was delayed to last spring, with the city citing labour shortages and supply chain issues.

That date came and wenttoo, and Leiper saidthe city is still waiting on parts for railings.

"At this point I think we're just waiting day by day," he said of the project, which isbilled at $22.6 million in total. "There appears to have been some new construction at least on the Ottawa side that makes it look like an opening is more imminent."

In an emailed statement last week, the city said work on the railingsand other safety measures is taking longerthan expected.

"We are committed to ensuring public safety prior to opening the bridge and as such, we are unable to provide an exact opening date at this time and continue to prepare for a summer opening," the city said.

In the meantime,some on social mediaare assiduously tracking all signs of progress.

A new option to get to GatineauHills

On Saturday morning, cyclists on the Ottawa side headingnorth turned theirgazetoward the bridge's fenced-off entry.

Behind the barricade,metal posts appeared to beawaiting some kind of connective tissue. Otherwise, the bridge surface looked readyto go.

"Is it open?" one rider asked while CBC interviewed a retiredcouple cycling on a tandem bike.

"My birthday is mid-July, so it would have been a nice birthday present," said Margaret Delicate, seatedat the rear.

"The late opening of a construction project is not unusual," her husband David said fromthe front.

Leiper and others are excited because the bridge will serve as a new connection point for cyclists, runnersand pedestrians eager for new Ottawa-Gatineau loop options.

"It's variety," said runner and cyclist Larry Menard. "After a while, doing the same loops becomes kind of stale."

The absence of cars is "great"too, he added.

"There's a path at[the Portage Bridge]. The Chaudire[Crossing], you're on the road. TheChamplain Bridgehas a path with a painted line, which is hardly any protection if you're concerned about traffic," Menard said."I'm quite comfortable in traffic. But accidents happen."

Leiper said the bridge will make it easier for familiestocross over into Gatineaufrom neighbourhoodsall over his ward, including Westboro, Hintonburg, Mechanicsville and Champlain Park.

"If you're coming from downtown and you want to get into the Gatineau Hills, this is going to make a much more direct connection, and probably a more pleasant connection than trying to do that from the Champlain Bridge," Leiper said.

Menard said that, as aMtis man who has encounteredmembers of the Commanda family, he appreciates the bridge's new name, too.

"It's not about rewriting history," he said. "It's about recognizing somebody who played an important rolein this area."