Linking Rue Eddy in Gatineau and Centretown’s Booth Street, Chaudière Bridge’s main claim to fame is that it’s the oldest bridge in the National Capital Region.
First built in 1829, Chaudière Bridge was originally called Union Bridge and was constructed by Colonel John By – founder of the settlement and builder of the Rideau Canal – to make it easier to transport supplies across the Chaudière Falls.
The bridge enabled the now dormant Ottawa-Gatineau Mill, Chaudière’s nearest neighbour, to send heaps of paper and pulp products into both provinces.
The bridge was constructed as a simple wooden arch spanning the main river with stone bridges covering the other river sections. After flooding damage, these bridges were replaced in 1843 by a single suspension bridge, a major engineering accomplishment for Canada in its day.
It has taken many versions to get it right, but the 1920 reconstruction of Chaudière Bridge into a steel truss model is still in place today and serves as a main bus and auto route connecting Ottawa and Gatineau.
Today, a stone arch from the original 1829 Union Bridge is used as a supporting structure for the current bridge.
Concerns in 2008 about deterioration of the stone arches saw the Chaudière Bridge temporarily closed to traffic while engineers inspected for wear and possible damage. A week later the bridge was re-opened with a reduced traffic speed and a maximum weight of five tonnes.
While most of the traffic is cars and buses, the Chaudière Bridge was built with a pedestrian sidewalk.
Also, en route is the bridge’s own namesake; the Chaudière Falls. Today, much of the view the Chaudière Falls is taken up by a hydro facility, as the falls have been diverted to create hydro power.
But the big draw to visit Chaudière Bridge is the 1829 stone arch.