The Laurier Avenue Bridge is a

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, Canada. It carries

Laurier Avenue Laurier Avenue ''(French: Avenue Laurier)'' (Ottawa Road #48) is a central east west street running through Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Originally known as "Maria Street" (west of Waller) and "Theodore Street" (east of Waller), it was renamed in ...

over the Rideau Canal and also Colonel By Drive and

Queen Elizabeth Driveway Queen Elizabeth Driveway is a scenic parkway in Ottawa, Canada, that runs along the western edge of the Rideau Canal. It runs from Laurier Avenue in the north to Dow's Lake where it turns into Prince of Wales Drive. It is administered and owned by ...

. The green steel arches makes the bridge one of the most recognizable in Ottawa. Many of the events of Winterlude are held around the bridge, and it is a common background to pictures of skaters on the canal. The southern entrance to the

Department of National Defence Headquarters National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) ( French: ''Quartiers généraux de la Défense nationale'' (''QGDN'')) was created through the integration of Canadian Armed Forces Headquarters (CAF HQ) with the civilian Department of National Defence (DN ...

is located on the eastern portion of the bridge. The first bridge in the location was constructed in 1872. The current four lane bridge was originally built in 1900 and it was extended to the west in 1945. It was originally operated by the National Capital Commission, but in 1996 it and the

Mackenzie King Bridge The Mackenzie King Bridge is a bridge over the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Just a few blocks away from Parliament Hill, south of the Plaza Bridge, it runs in a generally east–west direction, with the east end at the Rideau Centre ...

were handed over to the city as the NCC did not have enough money for needed maintenance. In 2001, the bridge was expanded and repaired. The top surface was expanded by 50% allowing wider lanes, dedicated bike paths, and much wider sidewalks. The area around the bridge was also beautified with landscaping and new stairs connecting to the bridge. Rideau Canal, Ottawa - panoramio (13).jpg Rideau Canal Skateway Ottawa.jpeg

References

*"Laurier Bridge's widening complete." Jennifer Campbell. ''The Ottawa Citizen.'' Nov 21, 2003. pg. F.1.Fro {{Ottawa Bridges in Ottawa Bridges completed in 1900 Road bridges in Ontario Bridges completed in 1872 1872 establishments in Ontario 1900 establishments in Ontario

See also

References