City holds Airport Parkway expansion meeting
The expansion of Ottawa's Airport Parkway, an idea first proposed in 2008, remains in the planning stages.
On Wednesday night the city held a virtual public meeting outlining the progress so far. The parkway is the main route to the Ottawa International Airport and connects the Hunt Club neighborhood with downtown.
The major elements of the plan include expanding the parkway to four lanes from two between Brookfield Road and Hunt Club Road, the construction of a new southbound off-ramp at Walkley Road, including the installation of a roundabout intersection, and a new multi-use pathway along the west side of the parkway.
Local residents and councillors raising questions at the meeting. There are concerns about traffic, the cost and if the expansion is even needed.
River ward Councillor Riley Brockington pointed out the project was originally slated to be completed years ago, before LRT will bring passengers to the city's south end.
“The parkway was supposed to be widened before the Trillium Line opened, but that has reversed itself and we are going to see the Trillium line open this coming August." He said. "We really need to see what that data the impact that has on the parkway. If you put this money into this project, what are you not doing."
Planners say the increase in traffic on Bronson Avenue will be minimal, but not everyone is convinced. Coun. Shawn Menard, whose ward may be impacted by increased traffic, wants proof.
“My concern is about that induced demand,” Minard said. “I did ask that of staff and I’m going to want to see more input before I want to see this move forward.”
The design phase should be completed late in 2023. If it receives final approval, construction would not start until sometime in 2027.
The next public meeting on the project is scheduled for Dec. 6.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING NEWS Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'