Sixty years of road salt has destroyed Ottawa’s Alexandra Bridge, officials say

Federal officials say six decades of road salt has spelled the end for a 123-year old interprovincial bridge in Ottawa.

The Alexandra Bridge has to be taken down because of rust, officials from the Procurement Department say.

The procurement process for a new bridge will start in the fall, when the public will have a chance to weigh in on three design options.

Officials refused to say how much they think it will cost, but a 2018 assessment suggested a new bridge would come to $800,000.

The bridge opened in 1901, carrying trains, streetcars and horse-drawn wagons.

It’s currently closed to vehicles to undergo maintenance work until early next year, and will likely be torn down by 2030.