New fencing was set up to block off the Prince of Wales railway bridge Tuesday morning.
The chainlink fence was raised with the intent of preventing trespassers from going on the overgrown, abandoned bridge just west of Lebreton Flats, which has been closed off by the city as a public safety and liability issue.
The current chain fencing will cost the city $46,000, significantly less than the $250,000 price tag city council voted on two weeks ago. The fencing will block both ends of the bridge on the Ontario and Quebec side.
Ottawa residents expressed a public outcry and protested on site over the instalment of a barrier nearly two weeks ago since the bridge has been a popular site for pedestrians and cyclists over the years.
The bridge would cost $10 million to restore if it were to be used as a cycleway and pedestrian path, according to city officials.
The Prince of Wales Bridge was built in 1880 and was purchased by the city in 2005 after having been abandoned as a rail route. The city had hoped to restore the bridge in 2005, but the cost for a restoration to make it suitable for an LRT expansion would have cost up to $40 million.