For decades, the need for an interprovincial link to the east of the National Capital Region has been recognized in order to unify the shores of Gatineau and Ottawa and to seamlessly integrate various modes of transportation.
1915: The Bennett-Holt Plan recommends a bridge east of the Gatineau River, along with a highway network.
1950: The Gréber Plan proposes a bridge east of Kettle Island to connect Ottawa and Gatineau into a federal district.
1976-1977: The Ottawa-Carleton and Outaouais regional plans suggest a bridge over Kettle Island.
1986-1999: Several studies recommend a link that bypasses downtown, identifying Kettle Island as the priority corridor.
2009: An environmental assessment of interprovincial links is jointly carried out by the National Capital Commission (NCC), the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO), the Quebec Ministry of Transport (MTQ), the City of Ottawa, and the City of Gatineau.
