The Laurier Avenue Bridge is a bridge

Bridge

A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

 in Ottawa

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. It carries Laurier Avenue over the Rideau Canal

Rideau Canal

The Rideau Canal , also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today, with most of its...

 and also Colonel By Drive

Colonel By Drive

Colonel By Drive is an long scenic parkway in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs along the Rideau Canal from the end of Sussex Drive at Rideau Street. It then continues south and west to Hog's Back Road, winding through several residential areas and going past Dow's Lake and Carleton University...

 and Queen Elizabeth Driveway

Queen Elizabeth Driveway

Queen Elizabeth Driveway is a scenic parkway in Ottawa, Canada that runs along the western edge of the Rideau Canal. It runs from Laurier Avenue in the north to Dow's Lake where it turns into Prince of Wales Drive...

. The green steel arches makes the bridge one of the most recognizable in Ottawa. Many of the events of Winterlude

Winterlude

Winterlude is an annual festival in Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec that celebrates winter.Winterlude is run by Canada's National Capital Commission and was started in 1979. The event is one of Ottawa's most important tourist draws, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year...

 are held around the bridge, and it is a common background to pictures of skaters on the canal. The southern entrance to the Department of National Defence Headquarters is located on the eastern portion of the bridge.

The first bridge in the location was constructed in 1872. The current four lane bridge was originally built in 1900 and it was extended to the east in 1945. It was originally operated by the National Capital Commission

National Capital Commission

The National Capital Commission , is a Canadian Crown corporation that administers the federally owned lands and buildings in Canada's National Capital Region, including Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec.The NCC was created in 1959, replacing the Federal District Commission , which had been...

, but in 1996 it and the Mackenzie King Bridge

Mackenzie King Bridge

The Mackenzie King Bridge is a bridge in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Just a few blocks away from Parliament Hill, south of the Plaza Bridge, it runs in a generally east-west direction, with the east end at the Rideau Centre and Department of National Defence Headquarters. The west end runs between...

were handed over to the city as the NCC did not have enough money for needed maintenance. In 2001, the bridge was expanded and repaired. The top surface was expanded by 50% allowing wider lanes, dedicated bike paths, and much wider sidewalks. The area around the bridge was also beautified with landscaping and new stairs connecting to the bridge.