Traffic headaches in Ottawa as construction season drags on

Between Hwy. 417 lane closures and a shutdown of O-Train Line 1, getting around Ottawa has been a headache. CTV’s Josh Marano reports.

A 15-minute drive home for some has turned into nearly an hour in some parts of Ottawa as construction season drags on.

The push is on to finish road work before the colder weather kicks in. Lane reductions on Highway 417 and no O-Train Line 1 service this weekend mean more traffic.

While frustration sets in for some, Rod Windover is looking on the bright side.

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“I mean, yeah, we’ve been sitting here for a bit, but it’s a gorgeous day,” Windover says while sitting at a light on Preston Street. “Sunroofs open, we’re having a good day.”

Side roads like Preston are seeing more volume than normal for a summer weekend, but at Pub Italia, owner Joe Cotroneo says it hasn’t affected business.

“The important thing is the evening traffic, that’s where we’re getting most of our business these days, and it really clears up by then,” Cotroneo says.

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There will be lane closures on Highway 417 eastbound and westbound between Bank Street and the O-Train corridor this weekend.

Kiewit Dufferin Midtown Partnership is continuing construction work on the concrete approach slabs on the Preston, Bronson and Percy bridges along the highway. Work will include excavation and removals, concrete approach slabs, asphalt paving and line painting.

There will be lane closures eastbound between Rochester Street and Bank Street and westbound from Rochester Street to the O-Train line until 5 a.m. on Monday.

Here is a look at the closures:

• Daytime: Closure of one eastbound lane from Rochester to Bank Street and one westbound lane from Rochester to the O-Train Line
• Nighttime: Closure of two lanes eastbound and westbound.

The Hwy. 417 westbound on-ramp at Rochester Street will be closed all weekend.

Motorists are encouraged to use Carling Avenue as a detour to avoid slowdowns on Highway 417.

Line 1 service on the O-Train is offline until Monday, with R1 bus service replacing it.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Josh Pringle