Chief William Commanda Bridge closing for winter on Wednesday [Video]

With Ottawa’s first notable snowfall expected Wednesday, the City of Ottawa says it will be closing the Chief William Commanda Bridge for the season.

“Starting tomorrow, December 4, the Chief William Commanda Bridge will be closed for the 2024/2025 winter season as it will be unsafe for public use,” the City of Ottawa said Tuesday in a post on social media. 

“New gates have been installed and will be used to open and close the bridge in the spring and fall as required.”

Ottawa is expected to receive around 10 cm of snow Wednesday. A winter weather travel advisory is in effect.

The popular pedestrian and cycling crossing over the Ottawa River was not designed for winter use. City staff say they have looked into de-icing products, but none has been found to be suitable for the type of structure or the location of the bridge within the source water protection zone.

A memo issued in early November said …