NCC to conduct truck survey on King Edward Avenue

Light rush hour traffic crosses an inter-provincial bridge between Gatineau, Que. and Ottawa, Monday, March 16, 2020 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The National Capital Commission is warning drivers to expect possible delays on King Edward Avenue over the next two weeks, as it conducts a roadside survey on interprovincial truck activity within the national capital region.

The NCC has retained R.A. Malatest and Associates Ltd. to collect data on medium and heavy truck activity as part of the long-term integrated interprovincial crossings plan.  The data will be used to inform future studies to address truck traffic in the downtown and Lowertown area and other interprovincial planning initiatives for sustainable transportation.

"The main focus of the survey is to gain knowledge of the truck activity and commodity flow in the National Capital Region, specifically, those trucks that use the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge," says a report on the NCC website.

The survey covers Class 5 to Class 13 vehicles in the FHWA classification system.

Staff will be conducting the roadside truck survey the week of Aug. 21 to Aug. 25 on the northbound lanes of King Edward Avenue, and the week of Aug. 28 to Sept. 1 on the southbound lanes. One lane of traffic will be closed for approximately 75 metres during the survey times.

"Each survey is expected to take up to 10 minutes to complete, and the target is 200 completed surveys," Vivi Chi, Director of Transportation Planning at the city of Ottawa, said in a memo to Council.

As part of the voluntary survey, the NCC will offer a $25 gift card to each driver as an incentive to participate.

Here is the schedule for the survey and temporary road closures.

Week 1: Monday, August 21 to Friday, August 25 (7 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

• King Edward (northbound) reduced to two lanes between St. Andrew Street and Cathcart Street.

Week 2: Monday, August 28 to Friday, September 1 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

• King Edward (southbound) reduced to two lanes between Cathcart Street and St. Andrew Street.

The NCC Board of Directors approved the long-term integrated interprovincial crossings plan in 2022.

"By 2050, the transportation network to cross the Ottawa River will provide well-connected and sustainable travel options that contribute to a high quality of life and economic prosperity in the National Capital Region," the NCC says on its website.

"The system of crossings will support equitable mobility and the safe and efficient movement of people and goods, while respecting the region’s natural environment and cultural heritage."

The short-term goals for the plan include updating regional travel data, increasing electric vehicle charging stations and expanding cycling initiatives. The long-range plan beyond 10 years includes implementing an interprovincial transit loop within the core area to "support strengthened connectivity," the NCC says.