Stage 2 LRT construction noise frustrates residents in Ottawa’s east end

Residents are frustrated with the noise from the construction site for Stage 2 of Ottawa's LRT project. (Natalie van Rooy/CTV News Ottawa)

Construction on Stage two of Ottawa’s light rail transit project is causing distress for some residents in Ottawa’s east end.

The work happening alongside the Queensway is not far from an apartment building that is just off the highway.

Adam Crupi says the noise is keeping him and neighbours up at night.

“Right around 9:30 at night, the bulldozers come out,” Crupi said. “It’s not just the fact that there’s a bulldozer, but it rumbles the whole house and it’s happening 30 feet from our bedrooms.”

The Orleans resident says disruptions like this have been taking place since 2020.

“It’s day and night and 24/7,” said Esmie Grant Francis, who lives in the same apartment building. “I got really fed up even though I’m retired, but I’m home having to listen to this all the time.”

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, the city’s rail construction program director says, “The contractor is working on the future rail alignment, installing tracks. This work is taking place between 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.”

The city says at times, work must be completed overnight in order to minimize the impact to traffic, maintain the project schedule and coordinate complex activities.

Both residents say they’ve contacted the city with complaints, but there’s been no reprieve.

“Even when they worked during the nighttime and you call this 311 number, you really don’t get any place,” said Francis.

Crupi says he wants them to stop doing construction at night.

The city says at times when work must be completed overnight to minimize impact to traffic. When overnight work is required, a noise bylaw exemption is needed to proceed. 

“They are running bulldozers at 6:30 in the morning on the weekends, if I can’t even mow my lawn at nine in the morning, I don’t know why this is taking place,” said Coun. Tim Tierney.

Tierney said the city met Thursday to work on a solution.

“We will make sure that the residents know what’s going on and that they do work that can frankly be done during the day and the residents in the east end of the city will hopefully have a good sleep this weekend,” said Tierney.

It’s not clear if the noise will stop at night or in the early morning, but that’s the hope for Crupi.

“I want to see them stop doing it at night and I want to see them cutting back,” he said.