A look at Ottawa's 2016 construction season

_ (press release) _

** Ottawa ** – At today’s fall mobility and construction briefing, the public was advised that heightened construction will continue until the end of the year. As regular traffic returns to the roadways this fall, residents are reminded that they should anticipate delays.

The 2016 construction season continues to be focused around two main priorities: finishing work on main routes in the city’s core before Canada’s 150

th

birthday celebrations bring legions of tourists to the capital, and continuing to build the O-Train Confederation Line project as work continues for a 2018 service launch.

The Transitway between Tunney’s Pasture and Blair stations is fully closed to allow for the construction of the Confederation Line

.

OC Transpo service has shifted to run on regular roads, alongside or mixed with general traffic.

The Nicholas Street Transitway detour remains in place, including reserved bus lanes on sections of the Nicholas Street corridor. Residents are reminded to give priority to transit vehicles and to respect the reserved bus lane signs and markings. During this bus detour, traffic congestion on Nicholas Street will be higher during morning and afternoon peak travel hours.

Other major traffic impacts due to construction activity will include:







 * 

 Lane closures will continue on Main Street this fall, with the focus of construction activity shifting to the south between Colonel By and Rideau River Drive. The majority of the work along Main Street will be completed in late fall.


 * 
Throughout the fall and into December, traffic on the George McIlraith Bridge over Riverside Drive connecting Smyth Road to Main Street will be reduced to one lane in each direction.

 * 
The Lyon Street full closure between Somerset Street and Gladstone Avenue will continue until mid-fall, with many local one-way streets converted to two-way traffic to maintain local access.






The many

construction-related activities underway this fall will result in traffic delays. However, the City has put measures in place to help minimize disruption, including enhanced monitoring, strategic timing of construction projects, off-peak work where possible, increased rush-hour bus trips to and from the city’s east end, improved coordination with other partners, and advance notifications on variable messaging signs.

Ottawa residents are commended for their continuing patience and efforts to help reduce traffic congestion. Residents are encouraged to plan their routes in advance, be flexible with commuting times, stagger work hours or use alternative means for travel, such as carpooling, transit, walking and cycling.

The City of Ottawa has tools on

ottawa.ca

to help motorists and transit users plan their routes and manage their commute including:

 * 
[
 OttawaNav
](http://ottawa.ca/en/residents/transportation-and-parking/traffic/ottawa-nav)


– the City’s mobile application for real-time construction and traffic information

 * 
[
 City of Ottawa Traffic Report
](http://ottawa.ca/cgi-bin/trafficreport/report_search.pl?lang=en)


– outlining city-wide road closures, traffic restrictions and detours

 * 
[
 Travel Planner
](http://www.octranspo1.com/?from=splash)


at octranspo.com – transit customers can plan their routes

 * 
[
 Interactive traffic map
](http://traffic.ottawa.ca/map/index?lang=en)


– showing construction areas and live traffic cameras throughout the city

 * 
[
 Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) cameras
](http://traffic.ottawa.ca/map/intersections)

 * 
[
 Cycling maps
](http://ottawa.ca/en/roads_trans/cycling/index.html)


and information – detailing bicycle pathways and lanes throughout the city

For current information about traffic and construction around the city, visit

ottawa.ca .

http://www.slideshare.net/DevynBarrie/ottawa-fall-construction-season-2016