Hunt Club Road and Riverside Drive remains the city’s most dangerous intersection

The intersection of Hunt Club Road and Riverside Drive saw fewer collisions in 2025, but it is still the city’s most dangerous. CTV’s Josh Marano reports.

New statistics from the Ottawa Police Service show collisions across the city increased slightly in 2025 compared to the year before even as crashes declined at what’s long been considered Ottawa’s most dangerous intersection.

Police say there were 87 collisions last year at the intersection of Hunt Club Road and Riverside Drive, down from 96 in 2024. Despite the improvement, the area still ranks as the city’s most collision-prone intersection.

Coun. Riley Brockington, of River Ward, says the majority of collisions at the intersection follow a similar pattern.

“About three quarters of all crashes at this intersection are people travelling westbound onto the Hunt Club bridge,” Brockington says.

“They’re mostly minor fender benders, thankfully they’re not high-impact collisions involving serious injuries or fatalities – but a collision is one too many.”

Citywide, police recorded 19,345 accidents as of mid-December, roughly 300 more than in 2024.

Brockington says while collision numbers can fluctuate year to year, several intersections continue to appear at the top of the list.

“Hunt Club and Riverside, Carling and Kirkwood – in River Ward – those intersections are at or near the top year after year,” he said

“I’m disappointed that this intersection continues to be at the top of the list, I have asked city staff many times what additional improvements can be made to reduce the risks of a collision, even if it’s a minor in nature, the fact that they continue to happen is a concern and I will raise it again, but again, the data does not lie.”

Residents across the city say they’re seeing similar issues elsewhere. Bin Liu, who lives in Ottawa’s west end, says collisions near Woodroffe Avenue are becoming all too common.

“Just last week, I saw two cars collide again near Greenbank turning toward Woodroffe,” Liu says.

While Hunt Club and Riverside remains the worst intersection overall, several other high-risk locations saw high numbers of collisions last year:

• Blair Road and Ogilvie Road: 54 collisions, the same as the year prior.
• Greenbank Road and Strandherd Drive: 50 collisions, up from 45.
• Baseline Road and Woodroffe Avenue: 49 collisions, up from 48.

Liu says she was involved in a collision on Woodroffe Avenue just weeks ago.

“I was driving straight but I think the other lady she turned down the wrong road and turned on the green and hit my car.”

Police data also show the human toll of collisions remains significant. Twenty-one collisions were fatal in 2025, including 10 involving pedestrians and three involving cyclists.

City councillor Tim Tierney says help is on the way.

Tierney says Ottawa police are launching the new community policing and traffic division, which will focus on enforcing distracted driving laws and preventing drivers from blocking intersections as part of the city’s broader Road Safety Action Plan.

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