What you need to know about road closures and traffic in Ottawa this weekend

Ottawa motorists will want to pack their patience for the drive around the capital this weekend, with several road closures in effect for construction projects and events.

The city of Ottawa says several on-ramps along Highway 174 in Ottawa's east end will be closed all weekend for construction on Stage 2 of the light-rail transit system. The planned closure of the westbound lanes of Highway 174, between Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard and Montreal Road, has been rescheduled to a later date.

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend will cause temporary road closures on Saturday and Sunday, while the Great Glebe Garage Sale, the Ottawa Redblacks game and Atletico Ottawa match will cause traffic slowdowns in the Glebe all weekend.

Here is a look at the road closures for this weekend.

Highway 174

The city of Ottawa says the full closure of the westbound lanes of Highway 174, between Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard and Montreal Road, has been rescheduled for another weekend. 

The following Highway 174 ramps will be closed this weekend.

• The westbound on-ramp from northbound Jeanne d’Arc Blvd. will close from Friday at 7 p.m. until Monday at 5:30 a.m.
• The westbound on-ramp from southbound Jeanne d’Arc Blvd. will close from Friday at 7 p.m. until Monday at 5:30 a.m.
• The eastbound on-ramp from westbound Montreal Road will close from Thursday at 7 p.m. until Monday, May 29 at 5:30 a.m.

Place d'Orléans Drive at Highway 174 interchange will fully close nightly between 8 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. until Saturday.

The Glebe

Ottawa Bylaw says special parking restrictions will be in place in the Glebe this weekend for the Great Glebe Garage Sale and Ottawa Race Weekend.

Officials warn vehicles parked in Special Event No Stopping Zones will be towed "to ensure traffic flow and pedestrian safety."

Special parking restrictions will be in place this weekend for the Great Glebe Garage Sale and @OttawaRaceWknd.

We will need to tow vehicles parked in Special Event No Stopping Zones to ensure traffic flow and pedestrian safety.
#OttCity #OttNews pic.twitter.com/Cbmfkrxd0x

— Ottawa By-law (@OttawaBylaw) May 25, 2023

Champlain Bridge

One lane in each direction is open for traffic on the Champlain Bridge.

Motorists can expect delays as the open lanes will be narrower, and the maximum speed limit will be reduced to 40 km/h, according to the National Capital Commission.

Heron Road westbound

The city of Ottawa says Heron Road westbound at Airport Parkway will have one lane closed overnight for the Confederation Heights Bridge bearing replacement project.

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend

Below is a full list of road closures for the weekend. You can also look at the Race Weekend interactive maps for Saturday and Sunday.

SATURDAY, MAY 27

• Laurier Avenue between Metcalfe and Nicholas: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
• Elgin Street between Catherine and Queen Elizabeth Driveway: 3:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
• Elgin Street southbound between Wellington and Laurier: 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Elgin Street northbound, between Laurier and Wellington: 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Elgin Street between Lisgar and Gladstone: 2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
• Elgin Street between Lisgar and Catherine: 6:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• Elgin Street between Catherine and Queen Elizabeth Driveway: 3:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
• Queen Street between Elgin and Metcalfe: 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Frank Street between Elgin and Queen Elizabeth Driveway: 2:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
• O’Connor between Laurier and Wellington: 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Wellington between Bank and MacKenzie/Colonel By Drive eastbound: 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Lakeside Avenue: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• Bronson southbound between Lakeside and Colonel By: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. (lane reductions)
• Colonel By Drive between Daly and Hawthorne: 2:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• Colonel By Drive between Hawthorne and Bronson: 3 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
• Hawthorne between Colonel By and Main: 3 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
• Pretoria Bridge: 3:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
• Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Somerset and Elgin: 2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
• Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Elgin and Preston: 3 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, MAY 28

• Laurier Avenue between Elgin and Metcalfe: 5 a.m. – 10 a.m.
• Laurier Avenue between Nicholas and Elgin: 5 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Preston and Elgin: 6 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
• Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Lawrence Frieman and Laurier: 5 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Elgin and Somerset W.: 6 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• Elgin Street n/b between Lisgar and Slater: 5 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Elgin Street n/b between Slater and Wellington: 6:45 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Wellington Street e/b between Elgin and Booth: 8:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
• Wellington Street eastbound between Elgin and Col. By: 6:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Wellington Street westbound between Portage Bridge and Booth: 6:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Portage Bridge: 8:45 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Rideau Street westbound between Sussex and Mackenzie" 7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Preston Street between Q.E. Driveway and Carling: 6:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. (northbound lanes)
• Carling Avenue westbound between Preston and Sherwood: 6:45 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
• Carling Avenue eastbound at Preston: 6:45 a.m. – 9 a.m.
• Sherwood Drive between Carling and Fairmont: 6:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
• Fairmont Avenue between Sherwood and Wellington: 6:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Wellington St. between Fairmont and Bayswater/Bayview: 6:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Somerset Street Between Bayswater and Preston: 6:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Preston Street between Somerset and Albert: 6:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Elm between Preston and Booth: 6:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Booth between Somerset and Wellington (lane reductions): 6:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Sir John A Macdonald Parkway between Booth and Island Park: 6:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
• Champlain Bridge n/b between Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway and Lucerne: 6:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
• Lucerne e/b between Champlain Bridge and Belleau: 6:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Belleau between Lucerne and Lanaudiere: 6:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• UQO Parking Lots: 6:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Alexandre-Taché between St. Joseph and Boucherville: 6:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
• Scott between Alexandre-Taché and Graham: 6:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
• Lac des Fées between Graham and Gamelin: 6:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
• St Jean Bosco between Lac des Fées and Lois: 6:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
• Lois between St. Jean Bosco and Montcalm: 7 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Montcalm southbound lanes between St. Joseph and Papineau: 7 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Montcalm between Papineau and Wellington: 7 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Wellington between Montcalm and Eddy: 7 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
• Promenade du Portage between Eddy and Hôtel de Ville: 7 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
• Hôtel de Ville between Promenade du Portage and Laurier: 7 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
• Laurier between Hotel de Ville and des Allumettières: 7 a.m.- 1:15 p.m.
• Alexandra Bridge: 6:45 am – 1:30 pm
• St Patrick between Parent and Sussex: 6 a.m. – 1:30 pm
• Sussex Drive between Rideau and George Étienne Cartier Parkway: 6 a.m. – 1:45 pm
• George Étienne Cartier Parkway between Princess and Aviation ParkwayL 6:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Princess between Sussex Drive and Lisgar Road: 6:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Lisgar Road between Princess and George Etienne Cartier Parkway: 6:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Birch between Sandridge and Hemlock: 6:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
• Sandridge between Birch and St. Laurent Blvd.: 6:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• St. Laurent southbound between Sandridge and Arundel: 6:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Arundel between St Laurent and Braemar: 6:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Braemar closed between Arundel and Eastbourne: 6:45 am – 1 p.m.
• Eastbourne closed between Braemar and Birch: 6:45 am – 1 p.m.
• Birch between Eastbourne and Hemlock: 6:45 am – 1 p.m.
• Hemlock westbound between St Laurent and Lansdowne: 6:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Beechwood westbound between Lansdowne and McKay: 6:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
• MacKay northbound between Beechwood and Sussex: 6:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. (one lane)
• Colonel By Drive from Rideau to Pretoria Bridge: 6 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Pretoria Bridge: 6:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Events are starting to ramp up!
This upcoming weekend, traffic impacts are expected around #OttCity due to the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. Avoid delays by planning ahead and giving yourself extra time for your travels.
Expected traffic impacts: https://t.co/XetyPMLtiJ pic.twitter.com/cCIKqDHrkq

— City of Ottawa (@ottawacity) May 25, 2023