The tube option uses rounded and smooth steel truss-work that forms a ‘tube’ around the bridge for additional structural support. It would have 11 piers giving 100m spans, with a 120m span over the navigable channel and rowing lanes. The city and its designer JL Richards & Associates believe that it would be the ?rst bridge of its kind in the world for vehicular use. They consider the bridge to be avant garde due to its shape, aesthetics, robustness - with litttle deflection and vibration - and light weight. It uses a third less structural steel and concrete compared to a conventional bridge with the same spans.
The box girder option uses 23 piers and 50m typical spans, with a 65m span over the navigable channel, which would exclude the rowing lanes.
The arch with v-piers option provides two structural supports for the bridge but only one in-river foundation for each pier. It has 13 piers at 83m spans, with a 100m span over the navigable channel and rowing lanes. The arch over the navigable channel is designed to showcase the bridge as a ‘gateway’ to and from the Inner Harbour and Rideau Canal. It would require only single v-piers beyond the arch for a 2-lane bridge. The current illustrations show the bridge with double v-piers for a four-lane structure.
The bridge will be about 1.1km long shore-to-shore and will have a constant gradual s-curve alignment.
