The Rideau Canal

The Bronson Street Canal Bridge

 

The construction of the Bronson Street Canal Bridge was directly linked to the bridge parallel to its location, the Bank Street Canal Bridge. Because of the major traffic congestion occurring on Bank Street, the citizens of the Township of Nepean requested a new connecting bridge be built to decongest Bank Street. After a study conducted by the Department of Railways and Canals, it was proposed to construct a bridge that connected Concession Street, now known as Bronson Street, on both sides of the Rideau Canal.

 

In 1904, the Department chose to construct a steel pony truss swing bridge over the Rideau Canal. In doing this, congestion would be reduced along Bank Street and would provide access to Hog’s Back and to farmland from which many farmers come from to sell their produce.

 

There are various forms of archival documents that illustrate this historic bridge including photographs and historic fire insurance maps outlining different stages of the bridge’s evolution.

 

The original bridge, which was built by Thomas McLaughlin, remained until 1938 when it was replaced by an electrically powered steel plate girder swing bridge. This allowed for a better traffic flow along this road, which had seen a major increase in traffic since its original construction.

 

After an agreement between the Federal District Commission (present-day National Capital Commission) and the City of Ottawa, a new reinforced-concrete bridge was constructed to replace the previously built 1938 swing bridge.

 

The interesting thing about the construction of this new bridge was that it was built adjacent to the older swing bridge in 1958. The 1938 swing bridge remained as a pedestrian bridge until February 1961 when it was permanently removed.

 

After years of natural deterioration, the City of Ottawa undertook a rehabilitation project to restore the bridge between 2008 and 2009.

 

 

References

Passfield, Robert. (2011). Bronson Street Canal Bridge. Old Ottawa South Community Association. Retrieved from: http://www.oldottawasouth.ca/oos/history-project/history-project/1466-bronson-street-canal-bridge

The Ottawa Citizen. (1961, February 17). Old Bronson Bridge Going. The Ottawa Citizen p.3 Retrieved from: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=n_0xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NuUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=7077%2C3595803