Cummings Bridge

Cummings Bridge
Coordinates45°26′00″N 75°40′16″W / 45.433199°N 75.6712°W / 45.433199; -75.6712
Carries4-lane road, sidewalks, bicycle lane
CrossesRideau River
LocaleOttawa, Ontario, Canada
Named forCharles Cummings
Characteristics
MaterialReinforced concrete
Total length213 m (699 ft)[1]
Width18.21 m (59.7 ft)[1]
History
Construction start1921
Rebuilt1996
Location
Map

The Cummings Bridge in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, crosses the Rideau River, connecting Rideau Street to Montreal Road in Vanier. It is a multi-span open spandrel arch bridge, constructed in 1921 and renovated in 1996.[1]

History

The area east of the Cummings Bridge, later named Vanier was first linked to the Sandy Hill area of Ottawa with a wooden bridge erected in 1835, which went over Cummings Island in the Rideau River. The Cummings family settled the island, had a store there, and the island and bridge there became associated with the Cummings name.[2] In 1891, the old wooden bridge was replaced by a steel bridge, which the city wanted to name Bingham's Bridge, after Ottawa mayor Samuel Bingham, but this name never caught on.[3]

Previous Cummings Bridge in 1896

The current bridge was constructed in 1921, some 12 metres (39 ft) downstream from the steel bridge, bypassing Cummings Island.[3]

Charles Cummings had a son, Robert Cummings who became Reeve of Gloucester Township and Warden of Carleton County, Ontario. [4]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Restoring the Cummings Bridge". www.canadianconsultingengineer.com. Canadian Consulting Engineer. January 1, 2001. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  2. ^ Haig 1975, pp. 160.
  3. ^ a b Deachman, Bruce (September 20, 2015). "Cummings Island: A former commercial hub now sits empty". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  4. ^ Haig 1975, pp. 77.
Bibliography
  • Haig, Robert (1975), Ottawa: City of the Big Ears, Ottawa: Haig and Haig Publishing Co.