Federal government reviving Kettle Island bridge idea with 'commitment' to new interprovincial crossing

The federal government's fall economic statement says the government is announcing its commitment to building a new bridge over the Ottawa River to connect Ottawa and Gatineau, reviving a controversial proposal that faced major public backlash more than 10 years ago.

The federal government's fall economic statement says the government is announcing its commitment to building a new bridge over the Ottawa River to connect Ottawa and Gatineau, reviving a controversial proposal that faced major public backlash more than 10 years ago.

"This commitment for the project known as the 'Eastern Bridge' enables the next phase of planning, including the impact assessment, design, preliminary site preparation, and a procurement strategy," the document says.

The proposed bridge would cross Kettle Island in the Ottawa River to connect the Aviation Parkway in Ottawa to Montée Paiement in Gatineau.

A 2013 National Capital Commission (NCC) study into ideal corridors for the proposed crossing looked at Kettle Island, Lower Duck Island, and McLaurin Bay as options. The Kettle Island option, also known as "Corridor 5", was the technically preferred option.

The report was shelved for six years following public backlash and the Ontario government refusing to back the plan. In 2019, the federal government asked the NCC to refresh existing studies and develop a long-term integrated interprovincial crossing plan.

In June 2024, the federal government authorized further studies on the Aviation Parkway to Montée Paiement corridor, saying it would provide alternative transportation routes that would address peak travel times and reduce truck traffic downtown.

A 2021 report, however, suggested that a sixth bridge would not have a major impact on truck traffic downtown, amounting to diversion of approximately 15 per cent by 2050 if an east-end bridge were built.