New Greenbank Road underpass half open
Two lanes cleared for traffic, other lanes to open later in year
A long-awaited underpass that runs beneath Via Rail tracks in Barrhaven partially opened on Friday.
Two lanes of Greenbank Road between Malvern Drive and Berrigan Drive/Wessex Road were to open to traffic at around noon, while two others will open later this year.
The underpass beneath the Via tracks will allow vehicles to move freely on Greenbank, a major north-south artery that moves a lot of traffic in and out of Barrhaven at rush hour, while also enhancing safety for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and trains, the city says.
A multi-use pathway on the west side of Greenbank between Malvern and Wessex was also scheduled to open Friday.
The $43.5-million road widening project, begun in 2013, includes enough room overhead for Via to add two more tracks if it wants to. Most of the money came from the city’s 2013 budget.
The city has plans to build a new rail overpass where Strandherd Drive meets the rail lines between 2020 and 2025 and is also studying the need for grade-separated rail crossings at five locations in Nepean.
The study, conducted in partnership with Via, will consider the feasibility of grade separation at the level crossings at Merivale Road, Jockvale Road, Woodroffe Avenue, Fallowfield Road and the Transitway, site of the Sept. 18, 2013 collision between an OC Transpo double-decker bus and Via passenger train that killed six people and injured dozens.
The results of the studies and any recommendations for action will be presented to the transportation committee and city council next year.
Elsewhere in the city, a one-block stretch of Main Street will close Monday to vehicles and OC Transpo buses between Hawthorne and Lees avenues.
The closure is required to build concrete crosswalks and will last until Aug. 5, the city says.
A signed detour will be in place throughout the construction period. The recommended detour is via Greenfield Avenue and Lees Avenue. Access for pedestrians and cyclists will be maintained throughout the construction period.
This closure will affect bus routes 5, 6, 16 and 16x.