Chief William Commanda Bridge to close again this winter

The Chief William Commanda Bridge across the Ottawa River will be closed again this winter, after last season's mild weather prevented city staff from assessing whether they could safely keep it open year-round. 

The closure date is weather-dependent and will be determined by staff once conditions make the bridge unsafe, the city's public works department said in a memo on Tuesday. 

The city will install a new gate to prevent access to the bridge and signage about the closure, the memo said.

"City staff will monitor weather patterns and will use the gate to open and/or close the bridge during the spring and fall seasons, as required," it said.

The 140-year-old former railway bridge reopened to pedestrians and cyclists last summer after a nearly $24-million revamp. 

It was open for a little over three months before being closed for four months over winter, with city staff saying the bridge's steel structure and timber plank surface did not allow for safe plowing, salting or grit operations.

"While staff have explored alternative de-icing products, none have been found to be suitable for the type of structure or the location of the bridge within the source water protection zone," Tuesday's memo said.

This winter, the city hopes to assess whether allowing snow to accumulate could permit the bridge to be kept open for activities such cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. 

Low snowfall and warm temperatures last winter limited snow accumulation and prevented the city from trialling snow grooming on the bridge.

The bridge connects pathways near Bayview station in Ottawa and the southern tip of Gatineau Park, and also fills a roughly four-kilometre gap in river crossings between the Portage and Champlain bridges.

Cycling advocates have called for the bridge to be open year-round, calling it a vital link for alternative transportation between eastern Ontario and western Quebec.