Chief William Commanda Bridge closed for winter

A little more than three months after it first opened for public use, the Chief William Commanda pedestrian bridgeover the Ottawa River has been closed for the winter.

The City of Ottawaannounced in a memo it was closing the bridge startingTuesdayas snow, ice pellets and freezing rain were starting to fall.

"The Bridge was not designed for winter pedestrian or cycling use," said the memo, co-signed by the city's general managers of public works and recreation.

"Due to the bridge's steel structure and timber plank surface, the City is unable to safely undertake any plowing, salting or grit operations."

When open, the multi-use pathfillsan Ottawa River crossing gap of about four kilometresbetween the Portage and Champlain bridges. The former rail bridge connectspathways near the Bayviewtransit station in Ottawa and the southern tip of Gatineau Park on the Quebec side.

Changing over the bridge, which first opened in 1880and was bought by the city in 2005, had been officially closed by various barriers for safety reasons.

It cost $23.9 million to rehabilitate it, according to the city, and finishing touches are still being done.

City staff are going to use thebridge'sfirst winter "to assess winter use requirements and feasibility, and to better understand how the structure responds to winter weather," the memo said.

Meanwhile, thatcity is exploring how itmight be able to open the bridge for winter usesuch assnowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

The community-runKichi Sibi Winter Trail runs past the bridge on the Ottawa side.