Gatineau MP calls for changes to traffic flow on Champlain Bridge during construction
A Gatineau MP has launched a petition to call on the National Capital Commission to open both lanes of the Champlain Bridge to Ottawa-bound traffic during the morning commute.
Only one lane of traffic is open to both Ottawa-bound and Gatineau-bound traffic while construction is underway on the interprovincial bridge. The NCC launched the second and final phase of its rehabilitation project on the Champlain Bridge on March 20, which includes repaving, concrete deck repairs and waterproofing, and bike lane improvements.
Hull-Aylmer MP Greg Fergus has launched a petition to open both lanes of the bridge in the same direction during the morning rush-hour to ease congestion and improve traffic flow.
Fergus says the current plan for one lane in each direction is resulting in "severe traffic congestion" during the morning rush hour, which is causing delays for commuters and increasing fuel consumption, air pollution and the risk of accidents.
"By temporarily changing traffic management, we can have a significant positive impact on the daily lives of thousands of commuters, while promoting environmental sustainability and road safety," the petition says.
"We therefore urge the NCC to consider our proposal to improve the daily lives of thousands of drivers, while promoting environmental sustainability and road safety."
In a video posted on his Facebook page, Fergus says while the rehabilitation project is good for the bridge, the traffic flow is causing concerns.
"The simple solution is during the morning rush hours, to have both lanes heading towards Ottawa," says Fergus, whose asking people to contact the NCC and their city councillor to call for the change.
The NCC says Phase 2 of the rehabilitation project will last until November.
The agency does warn motorists can expect delays as the open lanes on the Champlain Bridge will be "narrower", and the maximum speed limit will be reduced to 40 km/h.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING 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.
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.
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.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
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.
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.