Alexandra Bridge
Alexandra Bridge (French: Pont Alexandra) | |
|---|---|
The Alexandra Bridge seen from Parliament Hill | |
| Coordinates | 45°25′49″N 75°42′16″W / 45.4302°N 75.7045°W |
| Carries | 2 lanes connecting Boulevard des Allumettières and St. Patrick Street/Murray Street, pedestrians |
| Crosses | Ottawa River |
| Official name | Royal Alexandra Interprovincial Bridge (French: Pont interprovincial Royal Alexandra) |
| Other name(s) | Interprovincial Bridge (French: Pont Interprovincial) |
| Maintained by | Public Services and Procurement Canada |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | truss bridge with five spans |
| Total length | 563.27 m (1,848 ft) |
| Width | 18.89 m (62 ft) |
| Height | 28.95 m (95 ft) |
| Longest span | main cantilever span: 172.21 m (556 ft) |
| Clearance below | Ottawa River |
| History | |
| Construction start | 1899 |
| Construction end | December 12, 1900 |
| Opened | February 18, 1901 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 22,000/day |
| Toll | None |
| Location | |
The Royal Alexandra Interprovincial Bridge (French: Pont interprovincial Royal Alexandra), also known as the Alexandra Bridge (French: Pont Alexandra) or Interprovincial Bridge (French: Pont Interprovincial), is a steel truss cantilever bridge spanning the Ottawa River between Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec. In addition to carrying vehicle traffic, a shared use pathway on the bridge for pedestrians and cyclists is maintained by the National Capital Commission.
The bridge was designated by the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering a National Historic Civil Engineering Site in June 1995. It was owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway until it was taken over by the National Capital Commission in 1970. It is now owned by the Government of Canada and maintained by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC).
In 2019, the Canadian government directed that the bridge was to be replaced by the year 2032, not without raising questions on the soundness of the decision, both inside and outside the government. The bridge was closed for vehicles from October 2023 till February 2025 as essential rehabilitation and repair work was being completed.