Public Notice

The Nepean Bridge Replacement Project  – Public Comments Invited

December 21, 2023 – The authorities must determine whether the proposed The Nepean Bridge Replacement Project, located in Ottawa is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this determination, the authorities are inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments received will be considered public and may be posted online.

Written comments must be submitted by January 21, 2024 to:

Environment, Health and Safety

Public Services and Procurement Canada

11 Laurier St, Portage III, Place du Portage
Gatineau, QC  K1A 0S5

Email: TPSGC.RCNLVEEListedeControle-NCRECMPChecklist.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

 

The Proposed Project

The Energy Services Modernization (ESM) project is a federal greening government project initiated under the Energy Services Acquisition Program (ESAP) to modernize the District Energy System, which provides heating services to over 80 buildings and cooling services to nearly 70 buildings in the National Capital Region. The ESM project is a demonstration of the Government of Canada leading by example in the context of climate change, by making its own operations greener and adopting technologies that significantly cut carbon pollution, improve energy efficiency, increase safety and reliability, and ensure a safer future for our children and generations to follow.

As part of the ESM project, an underground energy distribution system is required to connect the Tunney's Pasture and the Cliff Energy Centres through the installation of direct buried network of low-temperature hot water and an allowance for future chilled water pipes. This extensive ESM underground construction work has been in progress for over the past two years with construction completion in late Fall 2024. To complete the distribution system's interconnection work, piping from Tunney's Pasture and Cliff Energy Centres will require installation across the Nepean Bay.

Currently, the Nepean Bay pedestrian bridge does not have the structural capacity to service its current use and the weight of the new energy distribution pipes. To support the new energy distribution piping, a new Nepean Bay pedestrian bridge will be constructed at the same location as the current bridge, which connects the Ottawa River Multi-use Pathway between the LeBreton Pathway and Vimy Place. The new bridge will be five (5) meters wide and preassembled on shore prior to lifting into place over Nepean Bay. Clearances over the waterway will be maintained, and no in-water works construction activities are anticipated.