Rideau to reopen in time for summit

Rideau Street is expected to reopen to visiting dignitaries for this week’s Three Amigos summit following repairs to damage caused by a sinkhole earlier this month.

“We were really targeting to get this done before the North America Leaders’ Summit and especially Canada Day,” city manager Steve Kanellakos said Sunday night.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto will be in the city with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for Wednesday’s Three Amigos summit at the National Gallery of Canada.

As of Sunday afternoon, drivers and cyclists were allowed to travel east on Rideau Street and turn left onto Sussex, Kanellakos said in a memo.

Northbound Elgin Street also reopened Sunday between Albert and Rideau streets, as did eastbound Wellington Street between Elgin and Rideau, the city said.

The repairs are almost complete, the city said, but southbound Sussex between George and Rideau streets remains closed to cars, bikes and pedestrians. Also still closed are northbound Colonel By Drive, and Rideau Street between Sussex Drive and Waller Street, Kanellakos said.

Kanellakos expects the final engineer’s report to be signed off on by Tuesday, just in time for the annual summit. He said a majority of the sidewalks on Rideau are now open, allowing access to businesses before the busy July 1 holiday.

Rideau will reopen to OC Transpo buses and taxis on July 2.