Embedded Files
Phase 1: 2006 - 2010
Phase 1: 2006 - 2010
In Phase 1 a list of 13 potential crossings of the Ottawa River was proposed and a final recommendation revealed for a bridge crossing at Kettle Island (Corridor 5)
After considerable opposition, it was agreed to repeat the Phase 1 process. In this second phase the top 3 corridors identified in Phase 1 would be reconsidered and re-evaluated. First a Phase 2A was to be conducted which would review the criteria to be used to make the final evaluation. This would be followed by a Phase 2B which would perform the evaluation and propose a preferred corridor.
Phase 2 (Post 2010)
Phase 2 (Post 2010)
Summer 2010: Phase 2A report released
Phase 2A Report(s) on NCC maintained website
Fall 2010: Phase 2B Preparation
NCC produces Terms of Reference for Phase 2B of the Study.
Phase 2B purpose is to select 1 out of 3 potential corridors and perform a federal environmental assessment
April 2011: Phase 2B Kick-off
NCC selects consultants to perform the Phase 2B study
Jun 2011 thru end-2012: Phase 2B study Part 1 - Corridor Selection
Part 1 purpose is the selection of 1 out of 3 corridors
Includes four rounds of public consultations
June 2013: Phase 2B study Part 1 Completed and the Study Terminated
The Province of Ontario announces they will not support a bridge at this location and withdraws from the Study
The Province of Quebec announces they will not proceed without Ontario involvement and also withdraws
The NCC terminates the study process...Phase 2B and beyond as listed below does not occur
Subsequent to the termination of the 2007-2013 Interprovincial Crossings Study with no final conclusion, the City of Ottawa began to pursue other potential alternative solutions to the downtown Ottawa truck problem.
Nov 2013: City of Ottawa and Province of Ontario agree to co-fund a feasibility assessment for a downtown truck tunnel
study duration of 12-15 months
projected cost of 750,000$
City press release providing more details on scope of the study
Sep 2016: Tunnel Feasibility Study Results released
Ottawa City Council accepts study results and votes to proceed to do a detailed Environmental Assessment on the condition that the provincial and federal governments each share 1/3 of the study costs. Ottawa commits 2.5m$ (it's anticipated 1/3 share) in 2017 budget for this study.
Detailed Summary of 2007-2013 Interprovincial Crossings Study Timelines
Detailed Summary of 2007-2013 Interprovincial Crossings Study Timelines
Phase 1 of the Inter-provincial crossings study was jointly funded by NCC, MTO and MTQ and was carried out between 2006 and 2008.
The Cities of Ottawa and Gatineau acted in a technical advisory role
The terms of reference of this study identified that new crossings of the Ottawa River were required to provide an additional route suitable for carrying heavy trucks, and to provide peak capacity for automobile traffic well in excess of the projected demand in the year 2031
Phase 1 started with 10 potential crossing corridors across both the east and west of Ottawa
It was recommended that no crossing would be built in the west of Ottawa in the foreseeable future
A single east end crossing of Aviation Parkway-Kettle Island-Montée Paiement (Option 5) was recommended at the conclusion of Phase 1 in Jan 2009
An initial rough estimate of the cost to construct a bridge along this corridor (along with the associated road work) was 500m$ (2008). In 2013 updated cost estimates were released that peg the cost of the project at between 1.1B$ (for corridor 5) to 1.4B$ (for corridor's 6 an 7).
The recommendation of Phase 1 of the study resulted in negative public reaction primarily because it did not take into sufficient account the social and environmental impacts of a crossing on the surrounding communities and that the communities were not accorded sufficient opportunity to comment on those impacts or on the weighting of the decision criteria used to select the preferred corridor.
The provinces of Ontario and Quebec requested that the second and third-ranked options (Referred to as Option 6 and Option 7) should also be carried forward for more detailed consideration and this was agreed to by the NCC Board.
Phase 2 of the study was divided into Phases 2A and 2B.
The purpose of Phase 2A was to determine the best possible process for evaluating the three corridors that were carried forward and for ultimately selecting the preferred option for assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Phase 2A (Fall 2009 and Spring 2010) involved a considerable amount of community consultation, primarily with those that would be directly affected by the corridor options being considered.
Phase 2A concluded at the end of Jun 2010 by producing a 'Study Design Report'. This is the recommendation for how the Phase 2B study is to be carried out.
Phase 2B was scheduled to start in 2011 and last until 2013-2014. Subsequent review and approval of the federal environmental assessment is expected to stretch into 2015.
Phase 2B itself would again be divided into two parts. Part 1 would involve detailed study of each of the three potential corridors, and the selection of the preferred one. Part 2 would be the actual conduct of the environmental assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act for that selected corridor.
Upon conclusion of Phase 2B there would be a single corridor with an approved environmental assessment.
Part 1 of Phase 2B concluded in May 2013 with the announcement that the 'technically preferred corridor' was Corridor 5 (Kettle Island - Aviation Parkway - Montee Paiement)
In June 2013 the Province of Ontario announced that they would not support a bridge at Kettle Is. and withdrew from the Study. The Province of Quebec announced they would not proceed if Ontario was not involved, and the NCC elected to shutdown the project. Part 2 of the Phase2B study was never completed.
The allocation of funds for the construction of the project would be a subsequent task and if this is completed, then another phase of detailed engineering design and construction tendering would be required before any construction would begin This process was anticipated to likely take several more years into 2016 or 2017 at the earliest.
In Nov 2013 the City of Ottawa announced as part of the debate on the 2013 Transportation Master Plan that they were interested to contribute up to half of the costs of a 750,000$ feasibility study for a downtown truck tunnel. The City of Ottawa passed a motion to formally request the Province of Ontario to co-fund this proposed City led study.
Proposed Bridge Study Future Phases (These were not completed)
Proposed Bridge Study Future Phases (These were not completed)
The following information has been retained to record what timelines had been suggested prior to the termination of the study process in June 2013
2013: Phase 2B Study Part 2 - Federal Environmental Assessment
Detailed federal environmental assessment of the selected corrirdor
In 2013, the following dates were suggested as the possible next steps in the process:
2014+: Political Decision at Federal Level Required to Commit to Project
secure funding and get buy-in to proceed with relevant parties
2015+: Tendering Process to select consultants for Detailed Engineering Design
perform detailed design of bridge and associated roadways
2016+: Tendering Process for Selection of Construction Firm
begin construction
Most likely 2016-2017 could be the earliest date that any construction could begin.
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