Vimy Memorial Bridge, Steel bridge across Rideau River in Ottawa, Canada
Vimy Memorial Bridge is a steel bridge over the Rideau River in Ottawa, Ontario, linking the Barrhaven neighborhood to Riverside South. Three triangular truss arches carry the roadway across the water, giving the structure a clear and recognizable profile from both riverbanks.
The project began in the early 1990s and stretched over two decades before the bridge finally opened in 2014. The following year it received the Gustav Lindenthal Medal, an award given for excellence in bridge engineering design.
The bridge is named after the Battle of Vimy Ridge, one of Canada's most remembered moments from the First World War, and its name is displayed on plaques that pedestrians pass as they cross. Many people use it daily for their commute between two growing neighborhoods on the south side of Ottawa.
The bridge has lanes for cars, buses, cyclists, and pedestrians on both sides, so it can be crossed in several ways. The walkways are lit at night, but a daytime crossing offers the best view of the Rideau River below.
The company originally hired to build the bridge went bankrupt during construction, leaving the project unfinished for years. Former employees of that firm then formed a new company and completed the work themselves.
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