Ottawa bridge wins yet another award

Vimy Memorial Bridge, Ottawa, aerial view. Photograph www.topview.camera, courtesy Parsons.

The Vimy Memorial Bridge, which was designed by Parsons for the City of Ottawa, received an Award of Excellence in the international category from the Quebec Association of Transportation (AQTr) this month.

The annual award recognizes outstanding projects that have helped to promote or improve transportation.

The bridge also received the prestigious Gustav Lindenthal Medal at this year’s International Bridge Conference, recognizing technical innovation, aesthetic merit, and harmony with the environment.

Other awards include the 2014 Design Award of Excellence for Steel Construction in the bridges category from the Quebec Region of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction, and an Award of Merit in the transportation category from the Consulting Engineers of Ontario.

Opened last July, the bridge crosses the Rideau River in Ottawa at a location that is part of the Rideau Canal System, a recognized National Historic Site and a World Heritage Site of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Featuring triple tubular steel arches supporting a suspended deck using inclined hangers, the bridge is the first of its kind in North America. It carries eight lanes of traffic, including two bus rapid transit lanes, as well as two bicycle lanes and two pedestrian walkways.

“Parsons is pleased to be recognized with this prestigious award from the Quebec Association of Transportation,” said Todd Wager, Parsons Group president. “This new superstructure not only addresses the needs of the motoring public by connecting two growing communities, it also stands as an elegant and inspirational gateway to Ottawa, the national capital of Canada.”