A look at road closures, O-Train shutdown planned in Ottawa this weekend
Commuters will need to plan their route ahead of time this weekend while attempting to travel around Ottawa, as road closures, construction and the shutdown of light-rail transit will create significant traffic challenges.
A section of the Queensway is closed between Metcalfe and Carling/Kirkwood avenues for construction, the O-Train will be out of service after 8 p.m. all weekend and several roads are closed for construction or active transportation use.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at road closures and service disruptions around Ottawa this weekend.
QUEENSWAY
A five-kilometre section of the Queensway is closed this weekend while crews replace the Booth Street Bridge.
Hwy. 417 is closed between Metcalfe and the Carling/Kirkwood avenues, with traffic being diverted onto Catherine Street, Bronson Avenue, Carling Avenue and Chamberlain/Isabella.
Here is a look at the detours for motorists travelling eastbound and westbound this weekend.
Westbound
- Motorists travelling westbound will exit at the Metcalfe off-ramp
- Travel westbound on Catherine Street
- Turn left on Bronson Avenue and travel southbound
- Turn right on Carling Avenue and travel westbound
- Take Highway 417 westbound on-ramp from Carling Avenue
Eastbound
- Eastbound motorists must exit the highway at Carling/Kirkwood Avenue
- Drive eastbound on Carling Avenue
- Turn left on Bronson Avenue
- Travel northbound to Chamberlain Avenue and turn right
- Continue onto Isabella Street
- Take Highway 417 eastbound on-ramp at Metcalfe Street
O-TRAIN
The O-Train will be out of service after 8 p.m. all weekend for maintenance work.
OC Transpo says the full line will be closed starting at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
R1 replacement bus service will run the full line, matching regular train frequency.
In a memo to council on Friday, OC Transpo general manager Renee Amilcar said Red Vest staff will be present across the system and stationed at key areas to assist customers during the O-Train shutdown.
Amilcar says an alternative R1 routing plan has been created should there be significant delays due to the Hwy. 417 closure between Carling and Metcalfe.
More information is available at octranspo.com.
SLATER STREET
Slater Street is closed this weekend from Bronson Avenue to Bay Street as part of the Albert/Queen/Slater/Bronson reconstruction project.
Slater Street will be closed from 9 a.m. on Friday until 10 p.m. on Sunday.
The city says motorists, cyclists and OC Transpo buses will be detoured via Laurier Avenue and Bay Street.
QUEEN ELIZABETH DRIVEWAY
Queen Elizabeth Driveway is closed to vehicles all weekend between Somerset Street and Fifth Avenue.
The road on the west side of the Rideau Canal is open for active use only.
SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD PARKWAY
The westbound lanes of the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway will be closed to vehicles on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the NCC's Weekend Bikedays.
The SJAM will be closed from Vimy Place to Carling Avenue.
SIR GEORGE-ETIENNE CARTIER PARKWAY
Both lanes of the Sir George-Etienne Cartier Parkway are closed to vehicles between the Aviation Parkway and St. Joseph Boulevard.
The road is closed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
CHAUDIERE CROSSING
The Chaudiere Crossing connecting Ottawa and Gatineau is closed from 8 p.m. Friday to Sunday at 6 p.m.
The bridge will be temporarily open to Gatineau-bound traffic for four hours on Saturday (7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.)
No vehicular traffic will be permitted on the bridge.
WELLINGTON STREET
Wellington Street remains closed to vehicle traffic between Elgin Street and Bank Street.
Motorists can use Queen Street to move through the area.
OTHER TRAFFIC DISRUPTIONS
- Westbound Hwy. 174 off-ramps to northbound and southbound Montreal Road will be closed from 10 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday.
- The northbound Montreal Road on-ramp to westbound Highway 174 is expected to be closed from 10 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday
- Montreal Road will be closed under the overpass of Hwy. 174 from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.