The National Capital Commission (NCC) has chosen its preferred design for a new Alexandra Bridge.
The design, known as “Motion,” was among the three finalists revealed in October. The choice was based on a recommendation from a joint project team and the NCC board unanimously approved it on Thursday.
The design is inspired by the flow of the Ottawa River and the rippling form of one of its native species.
“The Motion design is a tribute to the dynamic, ever-changing motion of the river, inspired by the eel,” architect Martin Knight said in October when the short list was revealed. “The bridge’s graceful form reflects the eel’s motion.”
The design beat out two other concepts — known as “Rendez-Vous” and “Echo” — on a scoring framework that looked at seven different objectives. It ranked well above its rivals on both “visual experience and public space” and “user experience and capital realm integration.”
Chris Meek, a land use planner with the NCC, commended Motion’s “organic sinuous form,” “visual transparency” and “strong integration with the surrounding cultural landscape” at Thursday’s NCC board meeting.
The project team, made up of NCC and Public Services and Procurement Canada representatives, said the public consultation process that informed its choice included more than 5,000 surveys, two open houses with about 350 people in attendance, and regular meetings with multiple First Nation groups.
Emilie Girard Ruel, the NCC’s manager of public consultations, said the public praised Motion’s “unobstructed views” of the skyline, “as well as the fact that it is a fluid and dynamic concept with proportions that integrate well in the landscape.”
The bridge will have lanes for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians, as well as public spaces with views of Parliament Hill.
The design of the bridge is only 15 per cent complete. A full design will return to the NCC board for approval in 2028. Only then can construction begin.
The current bridge, one of five crossings linking Ottawa and Gatineau, turns 124 this year and is at the end of its lifespan, according to the NCC, which has ruled out simply repairing the structure.
Further public consultation is expected on the chosen design. Construction on the new bridge is expected to last from 2028 to 2032.