Heron Road Bridge Ottawa

The Heron Road Bridge Ottawa has become a major tourist attraction in the recent years. Founded in 1966, the bridge links Heron road and the Baseline road crossing over the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River.

The Heron Bridge disaster is a memorable incident in the Ottawa history. On 10th August, 1966, the Heron Road Bridge collapsed killing a number of workers. The bridge was almost on the verge of completion when the disaster happened. Workers were pouring concrete when the bridge started collapsing from a height of about fifteen meters.

The Heron Road Bridge accident is considered to be the worst construction disaster in the history of Ottawa. The wreckage of the bridge turned the bank of the River Rideau into a coffin ground. The O.J. Gaffney Limited of Stratford, the construction company took partial blame of the collapse at the official inquest.

Again in 1968, the Heron Road Bridge of Ottawa was rebuilt and started serving as a two-way traffic. In 1987, a monument was erected on the western side of the bridge listing the names of the dead workers. The Canadian Labor Congress also chose a site near the bridge to build the national monument in commemoration of the dead workers.