Christopher Dick, Centretown News
The iconic Little Italy mural will be removed when the Preston Street bridge is replaced. As public consultation ended in mid-March on the Queensway Ottawa Midtown Bridges Study, officials were still debating what the future holds for Centretown’s highway bridges. The study has been preparing for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s plan to replace or restore 23 bridges along the Queensway – including some in the Centretown area – beginning as early as next year.
According to Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney, the project is a welcome refresher for downtown bridges, which are well-maintained but getting old.
“Right now, they are in good condition, but they’ve got a lifespan and we certainly don’t want to go beyond that,” she says.
McKenney says the project is mainly in the province’s hands, but it must involve the city too. She says the most important thing is for the area to be accessible to pedestrians and cyclists as well as drivers.
She and Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Lieper sent the ministry a joint letter this month calling for the province to accommodate a multi-use pathway under the O-Train bridge near Preston Street as it undertakes reconstruction at that site.
Pedestrian and cycling access are a concern, but the ministry doesn’t see the need for that pathway, according to Don Rowat, the project’s senior engineer. The plan might change to accommodate it, but the city would have to foot the bill, he said in an email.
While officials debate the project’s logistical implications, local business improvement areas are also thinking about its aesthetic impact.
Christine Leadman, executive director of the Bank Street BIA, says the aging bridges’ cracks and patches are an eyesore but not yet a major safety problem. Still, she says, it would be nice to see some improvement.
“I always see the opportunity to put out artwork, murals, that type of thing,” she says.
Meanwhile, Little Italy stands to lose the mural on the walls under the Preston Street bridge. It shows silhouettes of Italian immigrants and Ottawa families along with panels bearing scenes of Preston street landmarks, the Italian countryside and prominent local figures.
Though the panels can be saved, Lori Mellor, director of the Preston Street BIA, says the rest will have to go.
The old mural is on its way out, but Mellor says the BIA plans to commission a new one as soon as the replacement is done.
“(The bridge) was a real physical barrier between the two ends of the street and now it’s a continuation of the cultural theme of the area.” she says. “Absolutely, we’ll replace it.”
In the meantime, Mellor says her concern is to minimize disruption from the upcoming construction. Still, Rowat says Ottawans can expect minimal disruption downtown as the ministry spreads out construction dates to avoid rebuilding all of the bridges at once.
Preparations at each site will take several months. Rowat says residents can expect some lane closures on the Queensway and city streets.