‘Ottawa’ Mayor Tired of Lawsuits Over Decrepit Prince of Wales Bridge
Sick of the city being hauled to court, Mayor Jim Watson says the city can’t risk letting people hang out on a decrepit rail bridge above the Ottawa River.
“I’m getting tired of the city being sued. We spend a lot of money on lawsuits. People love to sue governments,” Watson said, adding that there have been “hazings” and people chasing others across the Prince of Wales Bridge.
“It’s not safe to be on an unused, rickety, old train bridge.”
The city is considering installing security gates at each end of the historic bridge, which spans the river just north of Bayview transit station. People aren’t allowed on the bridge deck, but they go anyway.
A multi-use path on the bridge would cost $10.5 million, but the National Capital Commission and the City of Gatineau aren’t interested in helping the City of Ottawa pay for it. As a result, the City of Ottawa has turned its focus to building a bridge over the Rideau Canal near Lansdowne Park.