Final work on Hwy. 417 bridge replacement proceeding ahead of Tuesday reopening

The project to replace an aging bridge on Highway 417 is proceeding as quickly as possible, according to the provincial government, as contractors work to allow traffic on the Queensway to resume as scheduled Tuesday morning.

"The new Percy Street Bridges are in place and final work is being done to get the highway open. The Ministry of Transportation’s contractor is working as quickly as possible to complete the project and reopen the highway to traffic," a Ministry of Transportation spokesperson said in a statement Sunday.

The Queensway is fully closed eastbound between Carling/Kirkwood and Metcalfe Street and westbound between Metcalfe/Catherine and Bronson Avenue as construction crews replace Percy Street the bridge along the highway.

The two spans of the new Percy Street overpass were in place Saturday. On Sunday, crews were working to connect the bridge to the rest of the highway. The Ministry of Transportation and the city of Ottawa say Highway 417 is scheduled to reopen by 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

Bridge replacement causes significant traffic delays all weekend 

It's been bumper-to-bumper for many drivers in Ottawa this weekend a section of Highway 417 is closed for a rapid bridge replacement.

Saturday saw thousands of drivers leaving early to beat the traffic to the Canadian Tire Centre for the Ottawa Senators' 1 p.m. game against the Detroit Red Wings. More than 18,000 fans were in attendance. 

Justice Morningstar and her three-year-old daughter said the traffic wasn't going to slow them down on a special day.

"It's her first game and it's also her birthday too," said Morningstar. "We decided to leave an hour early just to get here."

• How long do the detours take?

"The replacement timeline has been extended beyond the usual Monday reopening to accommodate any fall weather that could impact concrete and paving work," the city said.

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During the construction, crews are using rapid bridge replacement technology to remove the existing highway overpass and move the pre-constructed new bridge into position.

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, the two new bridges were moved into place and construction crews continued work around the structures. Crews continued to work through the afternoon Saturday despite the rain.

The aging Percy Street overpass was initially scheduled to be replaced during the weekend of Aug. 10 to 13, but the work was postponed at the last minute. The Ministry of Transportation said in August that the decision to postpone the work was due to "additional time being needed to finish preparation and make final adjustments to the bridges," adding "rapid bridge replacements are complex undertaking."

"Third time's a charm," Coun. Tim Tierney said Thursday. "It looks like it's a go."

Drivers planning to attend the Senators games at Canadian Tire Centre, 67's games at TD Place, events at the National Arts Centre and other events in Ottawa this weekend were warned to expect delays this weekend due to the highway closure.

"It’s a real big traffic impact; I’m not going to sugar coat it. It’s going to be hairy out there but it is rapid," Tierney said.

On Friday, drivers encountered bumper-to-bumper traffic and significant delays, even during off-peak traffic times.

Haithm Alshaebi said he almost ran out of gas on his drive. 

"It was unexpected, it took me 40 minutes, thankfully I made it to the gas station," he said.

This is the third and final weekend of partial closures on Highway 417 in Ottawa this year. The highway was closed July 13 to 17 for the replacement of the Bronson Avenue bridge, and the highway was partially closed July 28 to 31 to install a pedestrian bridge over the Queensway near Greenbank Road.

Drivers deal with lengthy delays as Percy Street bridge replacement snarls traffic on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (CTV News Ottawa)

Here is what you need to know about the Percy Street bridge replacement this weekend.

Lane closures

Hwy. 417 eastbound lanes will be closed between Carling/Kirkwood and Metcalfe Street.

Hwy. 417 westbound lanes will be closed between Metcalfe/Catherine and Bronson Avenue.

Highway 417 ramp closures

The following ramps will be closed along Hwy. 417 this weekend:

• O’Connor westbound
• Lyon westbound (ongoing)
• Maitland eastbound
• Carling eastbound
• Parkdale eastbound

Detours

CTV News Ottawa drove both the eastbound and westbound detours Friday. 

Driving eastbound from Woodroffe to St. Laurent took about 50 minutes, with Carling Avenue the worst part of the trip. Without any significant traffic, this trip normally takes around six minutes.

The westbound detour from St. Laurent to Carling took around 43 minutes. Traffic was at a standstill around the Max Keeping Bridge just before the Vanier Parkway. This is usually an approximately 10-minute trip.

Westbound

Motorists travelling westbound on Hwy. 417 will exit the highway at the Metcalfe/Catherine exit.

Drivers will travel westbound on Catherine Street to Bronson Avenue, and can re-enter the highway at the Bronson westbound access ramp.

Here is a look at the detour route for Hwy. 417 westbound commuters during the highway closure Oct. 19 to 24. (City of Ottawa/website)

Eastbound

Motorists travelling eastbound on Hwy. 417 must exit the highway at Carling/Kirkwood.

According to the city of Ottawa, the recommended eastbound detour says drivers continue eastbound on Carling Avenue to Bronson Avenue. The city says you should turn right on Bronson Avenue and then take the ramp to eastbound Riverside Drive, then drive eastbound on Riverside Drive to Highway 417. Drivers can re-enter the highway at the Hwy. 417 eastbound access ramp at Riverside.

Here is a look at the detour route for Highway 417 eastbound during the weekend of Oct. 19 to 24. (City of Ottawa/website)

Downtown road closures

The following roads are closed due to the Percy Street bridge work:

Chamberlain Avenue is closed between Percy Street and Bronson Avenue until Nov. 1.

Percy Street is closed between Catherine Avenue and Chamberlain Avenue until Nov. 6.

Imperial Street is closed between Renfrew Avenue and Chamberlain Avenue.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Katelyn Wilson.