Canada Moves Forward on New Alexandra Bridge, Aiming for 2032 Opening

Canada’s long-awaited Alexandra Bridge overhaul just took a major leap. Public Works Minister Joël Lightbound announced three qualified consortiums—Epoch Pathway Ontario-Québec Partners, Peter Kiewit Sons ULC, and Heritage Link Group—that will advance to the formal bidding stage this October. The progressive design-build approach means designers and builders collaborate from the outset, promising tighter cost control, faster schedules, and a span that reflects feedback gathered by the National Capital Commission.

The century-old steel truss, which links Ottawa and Gatineau, has reached the end of its working life, prompting Ottawa to plot a full deconstruction and replacement. Under the timeline revealed Wednesday, design work wraps in 2026, demolition and construction contracts are signed in 2027, ground crews mobilize in 2028, and the new crossing opens to traffic in 2032—preserving a key commuter artery and tourist vantage point across the Ottawa River.

Indigenous consultations and public engagement will continue throughout, while an integrated project team—Public Services and Procurement Canada, the NCC, and technical adviser Arup—guides design refinement, heritage interpretation, and sustainability targets. Lightbound framed the milestone as “nation-building,” saying the new bridge will boost mobility and economic ties in the National Capital Region for decades to come.