For immediate release
OTTAWA, Ontario, April 2, 2012 – The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, today announced the completion of the Union Bridge rehabilitation at the Chaudière Crossing, located in the National Capital Region.
“Our Government is squarely focused on what matters to Canadians—jobs and economic growth,”
said Minister Ambrose. “Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, we will continue to maintain local public infrastructure and contribute to a stronger economy and safer communities.”
As part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada recently announced new investments of approximately $250 million, over the next five years, in Public Works and Government Services Canada-owned infrastructure projects across the country, for a total of $320 million in funding for these assets.
“Our Government continues to make targeted and timely investments in critical infrastructure across Canada, and Ottawa is certainly no exception,”
said Foreign Affairs Minister and Ottawa West–Nepean MP John Baird. “The interprovincial bridges linking Ottawa and Gatineau carry people and goods safely and freely, which helps the local economy and creates jobs.”
Public Works and Government Services Canada is responsible for 20 engineering assets across the country, including the Chaudière Crossing.
This rehabilitation project, which was undertaken in October 2011 by David S. Laflamme Construction Inc., at a cost of over $1.6 million, consisted of repairs to the above-deck steel structure and the application of a new protective coating system. This contract was awarded following an open and transparent tendering process through the Government Electronic Tendering System (MERX).
The Chaudière Crossing is a complex crossing comprising eight structures, connecting the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau. It is a primary commuter route between the two cities and carries approximately 28,000 vehicles each day, which equates to about 15 per cent of daily traffic between Ottawa and Gatineau.
Further investment is being made in another section of the Chaudière Crossing; a project to rehabilitate the Hull Causeway was announced in January 2012. Construction is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2012 and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2013.
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