A decision about whether to build a new interprovincial bridge at Kettle Island has been put off due to a lack of input from the City of Ottawa.

The city was supposed to make a recommendation last week to the National Capital Commission, the federal agency in charge of co-ordinating the development of a new Ottawa River crossing between Ottawa and Gatineau.

Ottawa city council isn't scheduled to vote on the issue until next week, prompting the NCC board of directors to postpone a vote Thursday on whether to proceed to the next step in the process, the second phase of an environmental assessment study.

NCC CEO Marie Lemay said the vote will take place once her agency has that input from the City of Ottawa.

A consulting firm hired by the NCC recommended that the Kettle Island be the only proposed crossing site considered during the second phase of the study — a recommendation endorsed by Gatineau city council.

In the first phase of the environmental assessment study, the consultants concluded Kettle Island would be the cheapest, have the smallest environmental impact and divert the most traffic out of 10 possible corridors.

Local politicians were divided Friday on whether Ottawa city council should endorse a recommendation by the city's transportation committee to ask the NCC to look at a second site, Lower Duck Island, in addition to Kettle Island.

Studying additional site would cost $3 million

According to the NCC, that would boost the cost of the second phase of the environmental assessment study by $3 million.

Nevertheless, it is the option preferred by Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger, whose riding includes Kettle Island and the neighbouring Rockcliffe and Manor Park neighbourhoods.

"Let's spend a bit more money now, get thorough environmental assessments for two or three options, which will give us sufficient information to decide in full knowledge," he said Friday. "I think if we stick to just one option, the likelihood of never getting a bridge is very high."

But Ottawa Coun. Rainer Bloess, who represents Innes ward, said the price tag alone should convince council to endorse the study on the Kettle Island option only.

"If there is a problem with Kettle Island in the next phase of the study, that would be the appropriate time for the consultants to go back to the NCC to ask them to look at additional corridors," said Bloess, whose east end ward includes an area close to Lower Duck Island.

The study is being funded by the NCC and the Ontario and Quebec governments, with technical support from the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau.