It was an unfamiliar sight for business owners on Bank Street in the Glebe Tuesday – a street filled with noises of chopping and digging instead of chatting and dining.
"I've worked here for 31 years," said Eli Saikaley of the Silver Scissors Salon near Bank and Fifth Avenue. "I looked out and saw no one walking, no one driving, no one coming and trucks and cops everywhere. It's a funny feeling."
"Ever since they shut down the road, this afternoon it's been crawling," said Gavin Dyke with the Bridgehead Café at Bank and Second Avenue.
The first of hundreds of days of construction from the Queensway to Holmwood Avenue began at 7 a.m. Tuesday, with fences and orange "Road Closed" signs being put up for 9 a.m.
Those elements of the street's facelift and sewer line replacement will be familiar to those who frequent Bank Street north of the Queensway, as similar work has been done on that side over the past few years.
Businesses saw sales go down during those construction periods, and politicians said they're focusing on promoting these shops while the roads are closed.
"What we really need to say is these restaurants and stores are all open," said area councilor David Chernushenko. "Help merchants who could have a challenging time for the next six months."
The hope is that this $22 million renovation will pay off in the long-term with new sidewalks, curbs and public art.
"It's a new life for the Glebe area," said Christine Leadman, executive director of the Glebe BIA. "It's one of the last areas to have its facelift, so to speak."
This project will stretch over 18 months, although the road will re-open in six months.
After this Bank Street will have a while before its next big renovation – the area between Riverside and Walkley is being looked at but there's no timeline yet.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Joanne Schnurr
