Five-kilometre section of Queensway reopens for Monday morning commute
Traffic is moving through a five-kilometre section of the Queensway in Ottawa's west end this morning, after construction crews replaced the aging Booth Street Bridge.
Highway 417 reopened to traffic between Metcalfe and Carling/Kirkwood Avenues at approximately 12 a.m. Monday, six hours ahead of schedule after crews worked through the weekend to replace the bridge in Ottawa's west end.
"Good News! 417 now fully open between Carling/Kirkwood and Metcalfe," Twitter account Ottawa_Traffic declared at 12:15 a.m.
The weekend closure forced thousands of vehicles off the highway onto city streets, causing traffic delays on Carling Avenue, Catherine Street, Bronson Avenue and other roads through Centretown, Little Italy and Westboro.
The highway was initially scheduled to be closed for 82 hours between 8 p.m. Thursday and 6 a.m. Monday, but the road closures and detours were lifted six hours early. On Sunday evening, construction crews were finishing the paving of the new stretch of highway, painting the traffic lines and installing the barriers before it reopened.
Using "rapid-bridge replacement" technology, construction crews are replacing the existing Booth Street Bridge. On Thursday night and Friday, crews demolished the original bridge, and then moved the new bridges into place.
"The conventional approach would take about two construction seasons and it would mean closing a lane at a time, obviously having a huge impact on traffic," Frank Vanderlaan, Ministry of Transportation, Highway Engineering Planning and Design, said on Thursday.
"Being able to do it over an 82-hour period has a huge benefit."
The Booth Street Bridge replacement is the first of five bridge replacements scheduled in Ottawa over the next three years.
The Rochester Street Bridge replacement is scheduled for the fall, with the Bronson Avenue and Percy Street overpass structures being replaced next summer. The Preston Street Overpass is scheduled to be replaced in 2024.
A live stream of the bridge replacement work along the Queensway is available on YouTube.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Minister 'outraged' after AFN national chief's headdress taken from Air Canada cabin
The federal minister of Crown-Indigenous relations is calling on Air Canada to 'make things right' with the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, who said her headdress was removed from an airplane cabin during a flight this week.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Canada recognizes housing as a human right. Few provinces have followed suit
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.