OTTAWA’S WINTER ROAD-WORK PLANS
What a coincidence that fat flakes of snow descended Friday on downtown Ottawa just as city officials were briefing the media about road operations and construction for the coming winter.
After the busiest construction season on record — totalling $500 million in spending on new infrastructure and rehabilitation projects — the city is shifting gears to focus on winter operations.
“We know this year was a difficult one on our roads,” said Keith Egli, chair of the transportation committee. “However, as the leaves have fallen, so too have many of the ‘construction ahead’ signs across our city.”
Major projects completed this year include the Vimy Memorial Bridge, Highway 417 expansion in the west end, Baseline Road resurfacing and Highway 174 resurfacing between Trim Road and Cameron Street.
Most road and infrastructure construction projects will either be completed or go into hibernation over the winter months, but larger-scale projects such as the Highway 417 widening east of Nicholas Street and the Confederation Line will continue, Egli said.
PROJECTS EXTENDING THROUGH THE WINTER:
Widening of Trim Road
Preston Street detour
Rideau Centre (construction along Rideau Street)
Belfast Yard (future Confederation Line maintenance and storage facility)
Booth Street Bridge — excavation for the embankments of Booth Street Bridge will begin this winter.
Utility work along Main Street
In terms of the work along Highway 417, construction activity will continue through the winter, and lane restrictions will remain in effect. However, city officials said the work will not occur with the same vigour. Concrete barriers along the highway will be moved back to facilitate winter maintenance and the parameters of the construction zone will be reduced to Nicholas Street and Blair.
Construction of the tunnel for the Confederation Line will also continue.
PROJECTS WINDING DOWN, RESUMING IN SPRING:
Orléans water-main realignment along Coventry Road
A majority of Sussex Drive will be completed in 2014, with intersection work and final lift of asphalt occurring in 2015.
A majority of Rideau Street will be completed, with sidewalk work and final lift of asphalt occurring in 2015.
Albert Street civic works will end in December for the winter, resuming in the springtime.
Brookfield pathway
Greenbank Road widening
Hickory Street Bridge
Resurfacing projects such as Rockdale, Colonial, Meadowlands, Knoxdale, Gordon Murdoch
Integrated sewer, water and road reconstruction projects including Marier, Deschamps and Dagmar
WINTER BIKING
The city’s winter maintenance plans also include plowing and ice control of certain cycling routes, such as the Laurier segregated bike lane and a few locations where new cycle track has been installed, such as on Churchill.
OVERNIGHT STREET PARKING RESTRICTIONS
The restrictions ensure that snow-clearing crews are able to keep roads clear for pedestrians, cyclists, public transit and motorists.
From Nov. 15 to April 1, the overnight on-street parking ban is automatically enacted when seven centimetres or more of snowfall is forecast by Environment Canada.
The city will announce parking restrictions and inform residents if there is an exemption, through ottawa.ca and the city’s Twitter account, @ottawacity.
When restrictions are in place, parking will not be permitted on Ottawa streets between 1 and 7 a.m. Vehicles parked on the street when a restriction is in effect will be ticketed.
Vehicle owners who have a municipal on-street parking permit are exempt from winter overnight-parking restrictions.