International honours for Vimy Memorial Bridge

OTTAWA—A Canadian project has received the Gustav Lindenthal Medal from the International Bridge Conference.

The Vimy Memorial Bridge, which was designed by Parsons for the City of Ottawa, was recently honored with the award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in bridge engineering that is also esthetically and environmentally pleasing.

The bridge features a "unique triple tubular arch formation" and was designed and built to meet the stringent guidelines set by the city, the National Capital Commission, Parks Canada, the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, First Nations (Algonquin of Ontario), Transport Canada and Transport Canada Marine, a release reads.

Made up of four general purpose lanes, two auxiliary turning lanes, two dedicated transit lanes, two on-road cycling lanes and sidewalks in each direction, the bridge connects the communities of Riverside South and Barrhaven.

The idea behind the bridge was to significantly reduce the commute time between the two communities, as well as reduce traffic backlog on other traffic arteries, explains a release.

The bridge was renamed from the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge to the Vimy Memorial Bridge in 2014, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the First World War.

It honours the battle of Vimy Ridge and "will ensure that the sacrifices made by our Canadian troops during the War are not forgotten," the release continues.