A stretch of Rideau Street is closed to cars, cyclists and busses today.
The shutdown between Sussex Drive and Nicholas Street was scheduled from Friday at 10p.m. until Tuesday at 10 p.m. The city is now saying the construction will be completed earlier than expected, opening Monday at 5 a.m. The closure is to allow for the demolition of one of two Rideau Centre pedestrian walkways.
The construction in one of the busiest parts of the capital is causing headaches for commuters.
One driver saying “It’s super backed up, everything is closed off, wouldn’t drive if you have the option not to.”
“I don’t usually come downtown and this is the reason,” says another woman heading downtown for a birthday.
Outside of the downtown core, drivers on highway 417 are feeling the delays as well. The Queensway was reduced to two lanes Saturday near the Kent Street exit as crews did prep work to replace a bridge in the area.
“It’s just moving very, very slowly. We had to take the exit, a couple exit’s before we needed to, to get off. It’s bad,” said a woman coming downtown from Barrhaven.
As part of prep work for a rapid bridge replacement in the area, there will be intermittent eastbound lane closures from 9:00 p.m. Friday until 5:00 a.m. Monday.
They are as follows:
- Friday 9:00 p.m. to Saturday 10:00 a.m.: highway reduced to 1 eastbound lane
- Saturday 10:00 a.m. to Saturday 9:00 p.m.: highway reduced to 2 eastbound lanes
- Saturday 9:00 p.m. to Sunday 10:00 a.m.: highway reduced to 1 eastbound lane
- Sunday 10:00 a.m. to Monday 5:00 a.m.: highway reduced to 2 eastbound lanes
The bridge replacement is scheduled for September.
