Special forces base expansion to include construction of a bridge across Franktown Road

A bridge will be built across Franktown Road as part of the $1.4 billion expansion of the Canadian special forces base at Dwyer Hill.

The 54-metre-long bridge won’t be open to the public, but will instead allow special forces to move equipment and personnel from one portion of the Dwyer Hill Training Centre to another situated across the road.

The bridge will span Franktown Road about 300 metres east of the intersection of Franktown Road and Dwyer Hill Road, according to National Defence.

Work on the expansion of the special forces installation, home to Joint Task Force 2, has already started with the clearing of brush. A new security fence will be installed around the property.

In May, contractors will begin moving earth and installing underground utilities and services. Concrete work on the new buildings will start next year.

Work on the bridge is scheduled to start in spring 2026 and be completed in 2027, said National Defence spokesperson Dan Le Bouthillier.

The 10-year construction project at the Dwyer Hill Training Centre will meet JTF2’s long-term growth, training and high-readiness operational needs, according to Defence Minister Anita Anand. Work includes replacing 89 aging and temporary structures with 23 new facilities; renovating seven buildings; and upgrading the site’s utilities.

Approximately 2,000 jobs will be created throughout the project, with as many as 250 to 300 people working on-site during peak construction periods, according to the federal government.

“As with any large infrastructure project, we expect increased traffic from construction vehicles, noise and dust during construction, but will make every effort to minimize impacts to our neighbours and the community as much as possible,” said Le Bouthillier.

Construction work is largely expected to take place between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday to Friday, he said.

The entrance for construction personnel during construction will be off Jock Trail, but National Defence acknowledged there will be increased traffic on Richmond Road and Dwyer Hill Road.

The main entrance to the training centre will remain on Dwyer Hill Road.

A new entrance for employees will be created off Dwyer Hill Road, south of Franktown Road, Le Bouthillier said.

In addition, National Defence noted it has completed a hydrogeology assessment to look at potential impacts of the construction on local water tables, including nearby residential well water.

“We will also offer to carry out baseline well water tests at nearby properties before construction begins,” Le Bouthillier said. “This will allow us to compare baseline water values to future water test results if any issues or concerns arise during construction.”

The Liberal government quietly awarded the first contract for the work on the Dwyer Hill installation four months ago, but waited until the week U.S. President Joe Biden visited Ottawa before making the announcement.

The Liberals approved the $1.4 billion expansion in June 2022 and government signed the first contract Nov. 22, 2022, according to federal government records. Public consultations and environmental studies for the expansion of the installation had been ongoing since spring 2021, according to the federal government’s website. A total of $800,000 has already been spent on the expansion project.

Military officials privately acknowledged the project announcement was delayed until the week of Biden’s arrival in Ottawa so as to send a message to the U.S. government that Canada is focused on increasing military spending.

But Anand’s spokesperson, Daniel Minden, told this newspaper the announcement was aligned with the beginning of initial work at the Dwyer Hill Training Centre. “We will continue to keep Ottawa residents, and Canadians, up to date on important infrastructure projects like this,” he stated.

In 2008, the Conservative government announced that JTF2 would be moved from Dwyer Hill to Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ont. To prepare for that relocation, the government expropriated a 90-hectare family farm in the area.

But by 2018, Canadian military leaders decided that JTF2 needed to be close to the nation’s capital in case of a terrorist attack. In February 2020, the Liberal government announced it was no longer considering moving JTF2 to CFB Trenton.

1. Special forces base at Dwyer Hill will be modernized: $1.4 billion project will see construction of 23 new buildings

2. JTF2 base expansion deal inked four months ago, but defence minister waited until Biden visit to make announcement