It links Somerset Street East in Sandy Hill and the University of Ottawa with Somerset Street West in Centretown. Previously the canal had been crossable at this point only during the winter months, when it was frozen. People continued to cross late in the season when the ice was melting, which some worried was unsafe. The idea of such a bridge has existed since at least 1984, first being proposed by councillor Diane Holmes. It went through many years of review and feasibility studies. During the 1990s it was supported by Regional Councillor Madeleine Meilleur, but there was never enough money to get it built. The bridge was most recently championed by city councillor Clive Doucet, and city council narrowly approved the $5 million bridge project in January 2005.