The Downtown Ottawa Condominium Alliance (DOCA) of 13 buildings - representing 4,500 city centre condo unit owners and residents - wholeheartedly supports the construction of the Eastern Crossing bridge across the Ottawa River, linking highways in Gatineau and Ottawa, deterring the routing of heavy through-traffic through the heart of Canada’s capital city, as at present. The excessive traffic caused by the current inadequate road system means that heavy trucks, including vehicles carrying timber, are forced to drive through central Ottawa, causing congestion, damaging road services, generating noise and vibration and excessive air pollution for downtown residents and visitors. The economic cost of routing commercial and personal through traffic through narrow downtown roads is significant and unacceptable.

The Airport Parkway delivers a ready-made route for this new link south of the new bridge and offers a sensible and practical construction plan. Opposition to this proposal ignores the fact that the status quo is unsupportable and damages the appearance, liveability and practicality of central Ottawa a residential, business and political centre. It is time to build this long-delayed project and our MP and MPP should support this important rationalization to the transport system of Ottawa and the capital region, which will relieve downtown residents, businesses and visitors from excess traffic and the noise, vibration, traffic safety risks and air pollution that comes with it.