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  #1  
Old Posted Oct 28, 2007, 12:26 AM
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Roads/Bridges projects/issues

As for guidelines reasons, I've started a thread about our Roads and bridges split out with the public transit and metro. I don't that each road project should have it's own article, as there would be like 20+ such page, although the new interprovincial bridge can have it's own if anyone agrees

Let's see the rundown of roads projects recently built, approved, under consultation or under construction (not include all those from the original TMP)

Kanata/Stittsville

Terry Fox Drive : Extension to Eagleson (2008) and Kanata North completed (2011)
Eagleson Road : Widening through Bridlewood under consultation (unsure of when it will start
Hazeldean Road : Widening between Kanata and Stitsville completed (2012)
Campeau Drive : Under consultation for all current existant segment with possible future extensions to the west
Hwy 417 : Widened from 3 (including OC lane) to 4 lanes in each direction including one carpooling lane from Hwy 416 to the west. Other areas widening possible throughout the city core.
Huntmar Road : Extended to Hazeldean Road (2009)
Hwy 7 : Widening from 2 to 4 lanes underway between Carleton Place and Stittsville/Hwy 417 (completed 2007-2012)
Hope Side Road : Proposed extension from Richmond Road to Hunt Club
March Road: Widening from Morgan's Grant to Klondike (completed 2012), future widening up to Dunrobin Road curve.
Stonehaven Drive: Widening through Bridlewood (was mentionned in 2012 budget - though not done yet)
Carp Road: Proposed widening from the 417 to Hazeldean (unknown date)

Barrhaven/Riverside South

Woodroffe Avenue :Widened from Hunt Club to just south of Strandherd Road (2005-2008)
Fallowfield Road : Widened from Greenbank to Woodroffe, past consultations - proposed widening from Woodroffe to Prince of Wales
Merivale Road : Past consultations - Proposed widening from Slack to at least Fallowfield
Strandherd Road : Widening process completed from Marketplace to Woodroffe (2008), extended to Prince of Wales (2012), future widening to Fallowfield
Greenbank Road : From Berrigan to future developments south of the Jock River under consultation with possible realignment near the Jock River
Prince of Wales Drive : EA study started, future public consultations, no date for completion
Hunt Club Bridge : Bridge rehabilitation some widening
Limebank Road/Riverside Drive : Widened between Hunt Club and Earl Armstrong (2010-2012).
River Road : future widening south of Limebank (according to a Steve Desroches Council Note on the Ottawa South Weekender), likely from Limebank to Earl Armstrong
Earl Armstrong Road :Widening between River Road and Limebank (2012) . Future extension towards Bank Street.
Strandherd - Armstrong Bridge : bridge under construction completion in 2013
Jockvale Road/Longfields Drive : On-going EA assessment for future widening and re-alignment throughout Stonebridge, no date. Longfields Connector completed (2011)
Longfields Drive : Extended to RCMP headquarters (2011)
Cambrian Road : Future interchange at Hwy 416, no dates + widening from 416 and points east according to TMP
Bank Street: Future widening from Leitrim to Rideau Road (unknown date)
Airport Parkway: Proposed Widening from Heron to the Airport (been on and off the TMP)

Orleans/Cumberland

Innes Road : Widened from Orleans Blvd to Trim Road
Mer Bleue Road : Widened from Innes Road to about 500 meters south, proposed until Renaud Road
Belcourt Blvd: New 4-lane road from Innes to Navan Road (unsure of when it will be constructed
Tenth Line Road : Widen from Innes to Brian Coburn (2010-2011)
Brian Coburn: West and east extension to Mer Bleue (eventually to Navan Road) to Trim
Hwy 174 : Portions widening from the 417 eastward between the 417 and Montreal Road, widening project (2 to 4 lanes) approved (province and federal) from Trim to Rockland - funding rejected by the city, though could be reconsidered
Hunt Club-Innes connector: Under construction from Hawthorne to the 417 (2011-2014)
Hunt Club Road : Future interchange at Hwy 417 (2012-2014)

Gatineau

Boul des Allumettieres : Completion of the gap between Saint-Raymond and Lac des Fees (opened in December 2007)
Highway 50 : completion of the gap between Gatineau and Lachute (2012)
Highway 5: Extension to Wakefield (2013)
Montee Paiement : Recent widening project completed from Maloney to La Verendrye
Alonzo Wright Bridge : Future widening project, date of completion not officially known
Interprovincial bridge between Gatineau and Ottawa at an unknown location but the Kettle Island has been the most popular option
Pink Road: Future widening from Le Plateau to Vanier Road (unknown date)
Boulevard Le Plateau: Completed gaps from Vanier to Saint-Raymond (2012)
Boulevard La Verendrye: Completion of gaps from Labrosse to Lorrain (unknown date)

Last edited by Cre47; Jan 13, 2013 at 7:47 PM.
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  #2  
Old Posted Oct 28, 2007, 12:58 AM
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Originally Posted by Cre47 View Post
Hwy 174ossible widening from the 417 eastward, widening project approved from Trim to Rockland
I like how this rendered. I was trying to figure out what was so silly about that project.
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  #3  
Old Posted Oct 28, 2007, 10:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Cre47 View Post
Woodroffe Avenue : Recent widening from Hunt Club to Longfields, widening underway until at least Strandherd, perhaps until Cresthaven or Prince of Wales
It's unlikely that Woodroffe will get widened past Strandherd since the plan is to close Woodroffe at Prince of Wales once Strandherd connects to Prince of Wales.
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Old Posted Nov 13, 2007, 3:07 PM
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Here's the city's page about the Prince of Wales EA - there will be consultations/meetings during the next year.

http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/publi.../index_en.html

Here's also the Report template on this project http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa...E-POL-0029.htm
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Last edited by Cre47; Apr 28, 2008 at 6:06 PM.
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Old Posted Nov 13, 2007, 3:19 PM
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  #6  
Old Posted Nov 13, 2007, 5:26 PM
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Looks like the roads people are at it again. I can understand the Hunt Club - 417 extension/interchange, since that turn at Hawthorne and Hunt Club is ridiculous. But what is served by Phase 2 that can't be served by the 417 or a combination of Russell and Hawthorne roads once Phase 1 is in place? They don't even connect the northern end to Blair Rd. It also looks like a convenient excuse to close down the CPR RoW and thereby make future LRT heading that way more expensive as well.
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Old Posted Nov 14, 2007, 10:11 PM
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Staff report on the Innes-Walkley-Hunt Club connector... appendixes don't seem to work as of this posting..

Total cost of the project is $104 million (2007 dollars) - About $15 million/KM

Hope Side Road extension EA Statement of Work

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  #8  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2007, 1:54 PM
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Go-ahead from NCC brings bridge closer
MP, councillor tout move for Barrhaven, Riverside South link

Laura Drake
The Ottawa Citizen


Monday, November 19, 2007


The National Capital Commission and Parks Canada have agreed to recycle 2005 esthetic and environmental guidelines for the construction of a bridge between Barrhaven and Riverside South, a move that Nepean-Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre said could speed up the bridge's completion.

"Effectively, the federal government is giving the city permission to get busy putting together a design without waiting for a lengthy process of developing new bureaucratic guidelines," Mr. Poilievre said yesterday.

Rideau Ward Councillor Glenn Brooks agreed that being able to use the existing guidelines could save the city a lot of time in getting the bridge constructed.

"If we had to go back through and do all the

environmental assessments again and get back to basic design, it would be a year or two years before bridge design could start," he said.

The guidelines for a Strandherd-Armstrong bridge were originally approved by the NCC and Parks Canada as part of plans for a north-south LRT line, but became invalid when the train project was cancelled.

Parks Canada is responsible for the Rideau Canal system, including the section of the Rideau River that the proposed bridge would span; the NCC is responsible for the land around it.

The city now intends for the bridge to accommodate rail cars or buses, as well as four lanes of traffic, which Mr. Poilievre said would have necessitated renegotiating those guidelines.

In a July 17 e-mail to Mr. Poilievre, François Lapointe, the acting vice-president of the NCC, confirms that the commission is OK with the existing guidelines, with a few slight changes to accommodate the waterway's new UNESCO World Heritage Site designation.

The city has pledged to pay for a third of the cost of the bridge, which is estimated to cost $105 million. At the end of October, Mayor Larry O'Brien and city manager Kent Kirkpatrick asked the federal and provincial governments to match the city's contribution.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2007
$105M for a single bridge. Think of that in comparison to what we were getting for 800M. 30km of LRT! I know we need this bridge but it is funny how these projects get pushed through along with numerous other road projects costing hundreds of Millions, while we just spin our tires on transit.
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  #9  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2007, 2:01 PM
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Originally Posted by lrt's friend View Post
$105M for a single bridge. Think of that in comparison to what we were getting for 800M. 30km of LRT! I know we need this bridge but it is funny how these projects get pushed through along with numerous other road projects costing hundreds of Millions, while we just spin our tires on transit.
Someone in the public should really bring that up at a council meeting sometime. Why is the city able to bounce along quickly on these road projects, but a transit project just gets stuck in the mud?
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Old Posted Nov 23, 2007, 2:15 PM
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Premier rejects bridge funding

Ken Gray
The Ottawa Citizen

Friday, November 23, 2007

Premier Dalton McGuinty has unequivocally refused provincial funding for the Strandherd-Armstrong bridge because the province believes it is not transit-friendly.
CREDIT: Chris Mikula, The Ottawa Citizen
Premier Dalton McGuinty has unequivocally refused provincial funding for the Strandherd-Armstrong bridge because the province believes it is not transit-friendly.

Money for the giant Strandherd-Armstrong bridge has struck a major roadblock. In fact, it is because the span is a road bridge that the project is in jeopardy.

The province will not release funding, designated for a city's scrapped light-rail project, to build the bridge.

"The $200 million is for public transit and not for a bridge," said Jane Almeida, Premier Dalton McGuinty's spokeswoman. The province does not see the bridge as a public transit project, she added.

The Strandherd-Armstrong project, to join those two roads across the Rideau River in Ottawa's south end, is a huge undertaking. Its $105-million price tag is roughly the same as a bridge across the Ottawa River. That dollar tally is about half the price of building Scotiabank Place, the largest private construction project in eastern Ontario during the 1990s.

The city has tried to entice the premier into funding the bridge by saying that it would handle light rail or buses. That said, municipal plans for light rail are sketchy at best and most any city bridge carries buses. One way or the other, the premier's office isn't biting and its response is unequivocal. The Strandherd bridge isn't getting provincial money, period.

And that's trouble for the project. The city was counting on the three levels of government sharing the cost equally.

So what is this all about? It is Mr. McGuinty reasserting his green credentials while pushing the city into building rail rather than a hodge-podge of road and bus projects. The premier wants a large rail development. He told a Citizen editorial board meeting he wants the city to think big.

Mr. McGuinty's environmental credibility took a beating during the election campaign. In an effort to win votes in the east end, the premier approved expanding Highway 174 to four lanes all the way to Rockland. That increases urban sprawl by making it easier to drive long distances from Ottawa to commute. Accordingly, those cars burn more fuel and contribute to global warming. Furthermore, widening the freeway is ineffective. All those new cars are just going to pile up at the Highway 417-174 split.

You know the project was anti-green because the city and the federal government immediately endorsed it. It is disgusting that light rail in this town is highly controversial while a freeway extension is approved in a few months. At least it gives the east end the same opportunity to be brown as the west end with its freeway extensions on highways 7 and 417. The decision also makes one wonder if the three levels of government are serious about dealing with the environment and, in particular, climate change. If the freeway expansions in Ottawa are examples, our governments just don't care. They want votes, not clean air.

With the Strandherd bridge decision, Mr. McGuinty has an opportunity to draw a line in the sand on the environment. Let's stop building roads and embrace transit. But politicians have been endorsing projects that smack of the 1950s. One wonders how high gas prices will need to escalate before commuters abandon highways 416, 417, 7, and 174.

That the Strandherd project is endorsed by Nepean-Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre, a Conservative who has been a burr under the Liberal saddle, would add to Mr. McGuinty's strong rejection of the project. Mr. Poilievre has been trying to speed the bridge plan. That has long been a Conservative position. Let's build roads for our voters in the suburbs. It works in the 905 area around Toronto, why not in Ottawa's suburbs?

And Mr. McGuinty owes the Conservatives one. After all, the federal Conservatives set in motion the process that saw the $919-million light-rail project killed. In contrast, the rail plan was heartily endorsed by former Liberal mayor Bob Chiarelli and Mr. McGuinty. Nor is the premier beholden to Mayor Larry O'Brien because he voted against the rail project and contributed to its downfall. Mr. McGuinty's Strandherd decision shows the chickens are coming home to roost.

In all, if this is a sign that the premier is going to support green urban planning in his home town, then his decision on the Strandherd-Armstrong bridge is the right thing to do.
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Old Posted Nov 23, 2007, 3:04 PM
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Nice. I don't know how Dalton McGuinty could be more explicit other than coming right out and telling Ottawa City Council to give him something worthwhile and ambitious. I think the city almost seems too reluctant to ask for money, while the province is practically begging them to give them something to spend money on.
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  #12  
Old Posted Nov 23, 2007, 3:19 PM
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This bridge will only be done if there is a rapid transit corridor, otherwise forget it.
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Old Posted Nov 23, 2007, 3:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremy_haak View Post
Nice. I don't know how Dalton McGuinty could be more explicit other than coming right out and telling Ottawa City Council to give him something worthwhile and ambitious. I think the city almost seems too reluctant to ask for money, while the province is practically begging them to give them something to spend money on.
I know!

Dalton McGuinty has hinted very heavily that if the city was to send forth an ambitious plan, the provincial government would give them money!!!

I am so sick and tired of this city's lack of vision and cowardice when it comes to spending money and asking for money on worthwhile projects!
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Old Posted Nov 26, 2007, 2:02 PM
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Quote:
Bridge project to get $35M in federal funds
Strandherd-Armstrong plan crucial part of city's transit needs, councillor says

Jessey Bird
The Ottawa Citizen


Monday, November 26, 2007


The federal government is to announce $35 million in funding today for the controversial Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge.

A spokesman for Nepean-Carleton Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre said Mr. Poilievre will make the announcement this morning on behalf of Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon.

While he wouldn't comment directly, Mr. Poilievre last night said: "All I can confirm is that I'll be announcing some great news for commuters in Riverside South, Barrhaven, Manotick and surrounding communities. It will mean real results for residents who have waited long enough."

The city recently asked the federal and provincial governments to each contribute one-third of the estimated $105-million budget to build a bridge over the Rideau River, connecting Barrhaven and Riverside South.

Councillor "Steve Desroches and I said that if the federal government gives us the money, we'll kiss Stephen Harper right on the lips," said Barrhaven Councilor Jan Harder.

"I guess I'll need to get my lip-gloss out," laughed Mr. Desroches, who represents Gloucester South Nepean.

"This is the missing link in our community," he said. "I hope that this will bring the province to the table and they will recognize that this bridge is a key part of the city's transportation plans."

Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty had rejected the bridge proposal because it was not a part of a more environmentally-friendly public transit project.

"We will not be funding this bridge," Jane Almeida, a spokeswoman for the premier, said earlier this week. "Our priority is transit, and we don't consider this transit. We have $200 million set aside for transit funding in Ottawa."

"My comments still stand," said Ms. Almeida yesterday, "and in terms of any announcement tomorrow -- I can't speculate."

The city plans for the bridge include a section for light rail, or bus lanes, because it was originally going to be built as a part of the city's now-cancelled light-rail transit line.

"It is a mess on both sides of the river," said Ms. Harder, insisting that construction of the bridge is a must, despite the fact that it will not be reserved for public transit.

In Barrhaven, 99 per cent of working people leave the area to go to work, she said.

Between the hours of 3:45 p.m. and 6:15 p.m., as many as 4,000 cars pass through Woodroffe Avenue on the way to Barrhaven, she added.

"I am absolutely thrilled that Pierre Poilievre has been able to bring in their share," said Ms. Harder of the federal funding.

"It is the most significant infrastructure project necessary for South Ottawa today."
It was mentioned on CFRA this morning that it is unclear whether this is really an announcement of new money. Possibly, it will be deducted from the $200M designated for transit.

Does this really surprise anybody after Dalton's recent announcement?

Meanwhile, Ottawa taxpayers are in the middle of this political game that has been going on for more than a year.
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  #15  
Old Posted Nov 26, 2007, 3:49 PM
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Jeez, so much for Harper's government being green...

I flip the bird at Baird and tip my hat to Dalton.



If ONLY someone would get some vision and ask for Federal adn Provincial funding for the new LRT Urbandale line so that we can extend it into Barrhaven AND have the transit lanes on the bridge...
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Old Posted Nov 26, 2007, 3:56 PM
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It is the most significant infrastructure project necessary for South Ottawa today
Maybe but only and if only there is a rapid transit corridor - I would have like to have the bridge only used for rapid transit just to piss off Pollievre who hasn't done anything good for the city.

I have to give credit McGuinty for trying to put the brakes on the project until rapid transit will be included inside of only having the bridge to promote further suburban sprawl.
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Old Posted Nov 26, 2007, 4:18 PM
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I just reflect on the previous article and the cost of the bridge being half of Scotiabank Place.

Are we mad to agree to build this for cars only?
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  #18  
Old Posted Nov 26, 2007, 4:54 PM
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I have to give credit McGuinty for trying to put the brakes on the project until rapid transit will be included inside of only having the bridge to promote further suburban sprawl.
This bridge isn't going to promote further suburban sprawl since both sides of the bridge are developed. What it will do is ease the strain on the Hunt Club and Manotick bridges. It will allow Riverside South residents to shop at the much closer retail outlets in Barrhaven then the further away stores at South Keys or Merivale Road.

Yes, it will make Riverside South a more desirable location for suburbanites but it's not like it will take potential homeowners away from urban locations. Rather it will draw those people who might choose to buy in the new developments in West Kanata/Stittsville or Orleans which would all be further from the core city.
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Old Posted Nov 27, 2007, 3:42 AM
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Well, it is official. The $35M announcement today for the Strandherd Bridge will be deducted from the $200M federal transit funding.

The Conservatives seem a little less green after this announcement.

And the political sparring continues.

Although the Strandherd Bridge is a critical link in the southend, let's do it right and incorporate rapid transit into the bridge, as originally planned. We are now approaching $100 per barrel oil. It is time to think of the future and include transit in all our major new bridge projects.
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Old Posted Nov 28, 2007, 3:22 PM
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From the Citizen today:

Quote:
Councillors feel 'used' by bridge funding offer
Council won't accept $35M in federal funds if it comes from $200M for transit system

Mohammed Adam, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The City of Ottawa won't accept federal funding announced this week for the construction of the Strandherd bridge because it will jeopardize future transit plans, some councillors say.

On Monday, Pierre Poilievre, the MP for Nepean-Carleton, announced $35 million in federal funding for the $105-million bridge.

City council had lobbied hard for the money to come from outside the $200 million set aside for the failed north-south rail project. When news of the funding first broke this past weekend, several councillors, including the two area representatives, Steve Desroches and Jan Harder, praised Mr. Poilievre for pulling off a great coup for the city. But when they learned the money will actually come from the $200-million transit fund, some of the councillors accused the Tory MP of misleading them.

"Council has already made a decision that they will not spend any part of the $200 million on that bridge. We can't accept the $35 million for that use," Ms. Harder said yesterday.

"Steve and I feel we were used on this. We really believe we've been hoodwinked. Talk about taking the wind out of our sails."

Mr. Desroches was also disappointed, but said the city and the federal government can still find a way to raise the additional money needed for the bridge, which would span the Rideau River.

"Certainly, I was expecting new money, but I don't want to slam the door on the federal government. I would like a commitment from them that they will top up the money," he said.

Nancy Schepers, the deputy city manager of planning, transit and the environment was also concerned. When she learned the source of the funding, she sent a memo to councillors reminding them of their decision not to use any portion of the $200 million for the bridge.

"Today's announcement by the federal government could constrain the federal funding envelope, and require council to prioritize within the remaining $165 million of funding available for investment," Ms. Schepers wrote.

The Strandherd bridge has become something of a political football in a war between Liberals and Tories over public transit in Ottawa. It was part of the north-south rail that was eventually cancelled after Environment Minister John Baird asked for re-evaluation from a new council.

The provincial Liberals have refused to fund the bridge from their $200-million transit reserve for the city, saying a link for cars doesn't qualify as public transit.

Yesterday, David McGuinty, the federal Liberal environment critic, labelled the $35 million for the bridge "pork-barrel politics." He said it is being done under the direction of Mr. Baird, the regional minister, to boost Mr. Poilievre's re-election bid.

"This is the gang that worked with the mayor to kill the light rail project because they said it needed a value-for-money audit and now they want to raid the kitty and build a bridge for cars," said Mr. McGuinty, whose brother is the Ontario premier.

"This is grandstanding from an MP backed by the minister of the environment -- who should be protecting the environment -- to build a bridge and put more cars on the road to pollute the environment."

Councillor Diane Deans also pointed to the irony of a federal government that helped kill a rail project that included the bridge, now using public transit money to build the link.

"I feel the federal government has been playing politics on this and other funding issues for a long time and I think it is time for Pierre Poilievre and John Baird to stop," she said.

But Mr. Poilievre said city councillors and other politicians are the ones playing politics and picking unnecessary fights when they should be working together. He pointed out that when he made the announcement, Ms. Harder applauded him, but a day later "flip-flopped and picked up a political fight."

Mr. Poilievre said there is no reason to leave the $200 million "in a vault gathering dust" just because the city doesn't have a transit plan. Current priorities must be funded.

"I want to build a bridge, but city politicians are burning bridges," he said.
I live in the south end (on the east side of the river) and I know how important this bridge is. I supported it when it was a transit/road bridge. You can't just take the transit off it and still call it a transit project.

I say put transit on it, or forget it.

BTW: The cost of the actual bridge is about $40M. I think the $105 million cost also includes the extension of Strandherd from Crestway to Price of Wales, and the widening of Earl Armstrong from River Road to Limebank, in addition to the actual bridge and its approaches. There's no way you can call THAT "transit". It's purely a road project, plain and simple.
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