Bridge closures expected to snarl interprovincial traffic
3 bridges spanning Ottawa River facing closures that could last years
Three bridges spanning the Ottawa River will be closed or partially closed for construction starting this spring and summer, facing motorists with the prospect of worsening interprovincial traffic congestion that could last years.
Chaudière Crossing shutdown
Starting in June, the Chaudière Crossing will be closed to most traffic while the Booth-Eddy corridor is reconfigured to become a "complete street" as part of the Zibi development.
Once it's finished in August, the series of spans linking LeBreton Flats and Hull will have a single lane in each direction plus a bike lane.
During construction, the crossing will be closed to cars and trucks from the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway in Ottawa to rue Laurier in Gatineau.
Smaller vehicles will be rerouted to the nearby Portage Bridge, while truck traffic will use the Macdonald-Cartier bridge farther east.
Buses, pedestrians and cyclists will still be able to use the Chaudière Crossing, but with a detour.
Future work on the Union Bridge portion of the crossing is set to take place from July 2020 to October 2021.
Rotating closures on Alexandra Bridge
The 118-year-old Alexandra Bridge will have both its structural steel and wooden boardwalk replaced, a twin project that will last into 2020.
Beginning in June, the bridge's Gatineau-bound lane will be closed, while its centre lane will switch directions depending on time of day.
That work is expected to wrap up in June 2020. The boardwalk will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists during that period.
The boardwalk replacement will begin in June 2021 and last until December 2022, during which time the bridge's centre lane will be converted to a temporary boardwalk and the Gatineau-bound lane will become a reversible traffic lane.
Portage Bridge lanes to close this summer
Lane closures on the Portage Bridge to create safer segregation between bikes and cars will begin in April and last until June.
A northbound lane will be closed during construction, and a second northbound lane will be closed overnight and occasionally during off-peak hours.
The lane closures will come as the bridge sees more traffic due to work on the nearby Chaudière Crossing.