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Kettle Island it is.
The city’s transportation committee has slashed the number of location options for a new interprovincial bridge over the Ottawa River from eight to one.
After a lengthy debate on Wednesday, committee members unanimously agreed to Kettle Island as the official crossing point that council should endorse.
“If there has to be one, it should be at Kettle Island,” said Innes Coun. Rainer Bloess.
Earlier this week, Bloess and two other east-end colleagues—Cumberland’s Rob Jellett and Orleans’ Bob Monette—business leaders, community associations and the area’s federal and provincial representatives agreed that Kettle Island is the right choice.
Bloess said the next step will be to battle for votes at the council table to accept Kettle Island as the preferred location.
CULLEN’S HAPPY
“There is no perfect place,” he said. “Every place has its issues and challenges.”
The decision to eliminate the two west-end options is good news for Bay Coun. Alex Cullen.
He called the rejection of Lac Deschenes crossings at Holly Acres Rd. and at Moodie Dr. “a no-brainer.”
“This is where the Ottawa River is at its widest, and it doesn’t make sense to build new bridges into existing communities like Crystal Beach-Lakeview and Crystal Bay. Not only do you destroy Andrew Haydon Park, but you destroy homes in these established communities,” he said.
Cullen added there isn’t the demand from Ontarians to cross over into West Quebec, and that the bulk of jobs West Quebecers work at in Ottawa are downtown.
“The real need for a new bridge is in the east, to take truck traffic off King Edward,” he said.
An National Capital Commission study is trying to identify two Ottawa River crossings to be built over the next 20-50 years.
The study had identified eight river crossings—three in the west end and five in the east—for future bridges or tunnels.
The study will consider the city’s recommendations this fall, when it’s expected to narrow the list of potential sites.
Ottawa Sun