Part of Highway 417 will be shut down this weekend in west Ottawa as crews use leading technology to rapidly replace the Carling Avenue overpass.
The Queensway will be closed in both directions at Carling Avenue from 6 p.m. Saturday to 11 a.m. Sunday. Detours will be in place.
Crews will be lifting slabs of concrete into place that each weigh more than a fully-loaded passenger jet, after the old bridge is lifted away.
It's the third time construction crews will use the rapid technology to replace a bridge in Ottawa. In 2007, the Island Park Drive exit on the Queensway was replaced using the same methods.
Engineer Ken Polson says Ontario and Ottawa are pioneers when it comes to using this technology.
"Where the technology has gone in the last ten years is unbelievable because if this was ten years ago. . ." he said. "This would normally take two years of constructon with backups daily, so doing it in 17 hours is a huge benefit."
There have been stands erected so people can watch the $11.7 million project taking place.
Polson says the rapid bridge replacement works so well on the Queensway because the highway isn't extremely wide and there's room to build the bridge along the side of the road.
"When people return to work (because its the long weekend) on Tuesday morning, they'll never know the difference," he said.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Ellen Mauro.
