George McIlraith Bridge

Construction of the George McIlraith Bridge was completed in 1965. The bridge crosses the Rideau River and links Alta Vista on the right (east) and Old Ottawa South on the left (west). Two major Ottawa roadways are connected by the bridge – Smyth Road in Alta Vista and Main Street in Old Ottawa South.

In the above picture, which is looking north, all of the buildings (apartments and condos) on the east side of the river are on Riverside Drive which roughly follows the Rideau River in this part of Ottawa. The George McIlraith Bridge is an important artery for vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

George McIlraith was a Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister.

 

June 13, 2016June 13, 2016 by kvselliott Categories: George McIlraith BridgeTags: alta vista, Bridge, clouds, George McIlraith, George McIlraith Bridge, old ottawa south, Ottawa, Ottawa Bridges, Rideau River Leave a comment

Vimy Memorial Bridge at Dusk

Vimy Memorial Bridge is Ottawa’s newest bridge for vehicular traffic. It was finally completed in 2014 after many delays and cost overruns. The bridge memorializes the Battle of Vimy Ridge, a major engagement fought by Canadian forces in World War 1. The Canadian forces suffered over 10,000 casualties (about 3,600 killed) in the battle lasting about 4 days.

The Canadian government completed construction of the Vimy Memorial on the battle site  (about 175 north of Paris), in 1936. The Vimy Memorial commemorates the Battle of Vimy Ridge and also is a tribute to the over 60,000 Canadians who died in the First World War.

The bridge connects the Barrhaven community and Riverside South across the Rideau River.

June 9, 2016June 9, 2016 by kvselliott Categories: Vimy BridgeTags: Ottawa, Rideau River, Vimy Bridge Leave a comment

What’s the Connection?

What is the connection between the Minto Bridges built in Ottawa in 1900 and the Toronto Sky Dome?  

The answer is that the Dominion Bridge Company built both the Minto Bridges and the roof trusses for the retractible roof of the Sky Dome in 1989.  Above is the Minto Bridge nameplate that lists some local government officials from 1900. Also noted is the Dominion Bridge Company as the bridge contractor.

The Dominion Bridge company also built two other Ottawa bridges; the Alexandra Bridge (completed in 1901) and the Chaudière Bridge (completed in 1919). The Dominion Bridge Company was founded in Toronto in 1879 and operated until it declared bankruptcy in 1998.

June 8, 2016June 8, 2016 by kvselliott Categories: Minto BridgeTags: Alexandra, Alexandra Bridge, Bridge, Chaudiere, Chaudiere Bridge, Dominion Bridge Company, Green Island, Minto Bridge, Minto Bridges, nameplate, Ottawa, Rideau River, Truss Bridge Leave a comment

Minto Bridge

Minto Bridge was built in 1900, spanning the Rideau River, across Green Island and Maple Island to the shores of the Rideau. There are actually three separate truss bridges and they are sometimes referred to as the Minto Bridges. The western bridge (a single span), connects the west bank to Green Island and the eastern bridge connects Maple Island to the east bank (another single span). The central bridge, (pictured above) is a double span and it connects the two islands. All of the four spans are similar in construction and are all approximately the same length (25-35 meters).

The building on the left (on Green Island) served as Ottawa City Hall from about 1958 to 2001. Minto Bridges was named after the fourth Earl of Minto who was the 8th Governor General of Canada.

June 6, 2016June 8, 2016 by kvselliott Categories: Minto BridgeTags: Bridge, Bridges, Green Island, Maple Island, Ottawa, Rideau River, Truss Bridge Leave a comment

Cumming’s Bridge

This image was taken from the east bank of the Rideau River looking south. The sliver of a building on the left is a government building on River Road. The Cummings Bridge crosses the Rideau River and connects Rideau Street in the Sandy Hill neighbourhood to Montreal Road in the Vanier sector. Constructed in 1921, the bridge is named after Charles Cummings and family, who originally moved to this area in 1840.

Cumming’s Bridge is a multi-arch concrete bridge with 8 spans. It is approximately 275 meters in length and 16 meters wide. The bridge has four lanes of traffic, with bike lanes and a sidewalk on each side of the bridge. In 1998, there was a complete reconstruction of the bridge that included major structural reconditioning, widening of the bridge, and significant aesthetic improvements.

 

June 3, 2016June 3, 2016 by kvselliott Categories: Cummings BridgeTags: Arch, Bridge, Bridges, Cement Arch, clouds, Cummings Bridge, Montreal Road, Ottawa, Rideau River, Rideau Street, Sandy Hill, Vanier Leave a comment