Somerset Street West – Bridge Planters

Location: O-Train Bridge at Somerset Street West, Ottawa ON. / Completed 2011

Client: Parsons, formerly (Delcan Corporation) & City of Ottawa

Somerset Street West renewal focused on enhancing main street gateways and nodes, while protecting, creating, and encouraging views and vistas from the O-Train Bridge.  This treatment promoted a safe and comfortable pedestrian experience across the harsh bridge environment.  Greening of the bridge was a challenge as there was no soil for trees to grow.  The solution was to plant honey locusts in custom designed long, narrow irrigated planters.   The thin precast concrete planters with decorative galvanized ends allowed space for pedestrian and room for snow removal equipment.  The planter design was based on streetcars that once traversed the bridge and the railway heritage of the site.

Kaja Cerveny was project Landscape Architect while with Douglas & Associates Ltd.