Ottawa’s bridges are reaching capacity: now there is talk of building a new crossing over the Rideau River

The beautiful and mighty Rideau River. It is one of Ottawa’s gems and is what is contributing to many people wanting to escape urban city limits and live a quieter – and perhaps simpler life in the suburbs or small villages. 

The only problem? It's not only the sounds of crickets, birds and the flowing river. You’ll also hear large transport trucks roaring past, cutting through residential neighbourhoods. It’s not just the noise, but the increased traffic congestion. At one point, the residents of Manotick counted 89 trucks blasting down the community's Main Street every hour. 

Over the years, a few ideas have been floated to fix the congestion, an issue that will only get worse as Ottawa’s population grows by about one per cent every year. City council has floated the idea of a ring road – a bypass or beltway that would circle from the south near Richmond to the east end past Orleans. An on-again, off-again idea for the past few decades, city council recently voted not to include it as a priority in its updated Transportation Master Plan (TMP), though Carleton PC MPP George Darouze has said he is still fighting for it at the provincial level. 

The city is also exploring other options, including, perhaps one day in the distant future, building a new bridge over the Rideau River. One such location could be near the Travellers Haven Hotel, near the corner of Prince of Wales Drive and Fallowfield Road. It could then connect to the other side of River Road, or extend even further to Limebank Road.

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