Province designs new Barrhaven interchange, but has no money for it

The Ministry of Transportation has presented its preliminary design for a new Highway 416 interchange to meet the needs of booming subdivisions in Barrhaven, but has no timeline and no funding set aside for its $80 million construction. 

In fact, it was the City of Ottawa — and not the province — that pushed to get a study done that can pave the way for a Barnsdale Road interchange, and the cost of the work was even covered by a local developer. 

Residents who have bought the thousands of homes south of the Jock River have long complained about how hard it is to get around and the area continues to grow quickly. Barrhaven has added about 3,500 people, or 1,500 households a year, according to the city's most recent annual report on development.

"It's needed desperately,"  said Barrhaven West Coun. David Hill, after a presentation by the ministry and its consultant at the City of Ottawa's transportation committee on Thursday. He was picking up on an issue long championed by his predecessor Jan Harder.

• Barrhaven roads a disaster, residents say

Hill pointed to how Ottawa's other suburban communities have multiple interchanges: Orléans has Highway 174 and four interchanges, while Kanata has five along Highway 417. 

Barrhaven has only the one: ramps at Fallowfield Road give access to Highway 416. A second exit at Bankfield Road further south predominantly serves Manotick.

Built in stages

Consulting firm Morrison Hershfield looked at several configurations and settled on ramps in all directions, with loops on the south side of Barnsdale Road.

The interchange would be built in stages as population and traffic increase, and as money becomes available. The surrounding road network would change over time, too.

The ultimate design, which is not foreseen to be in place for many years, would see Borrisokane Road closed at Barnsdale, ending in a cul-de-sac. That traffic would instead use a future extension of Kilbirnie Drive.

Another key piece in the future transportation network in south Barrhaven is a different alignment for Greenbank Road. Many developments were given the go-ahead on the premise they would use a new four-lane artery complete with rapid-transit lanes, but a decision was made many years ago to delay that work so Strandherd Drive could be widened instead.

Hill wants Greenbank Road, with a new bridge over the Jock River and roadway south to Cambrian Road, to be at the top of the list when the City of Ottawa approves its next transportation master plan, which is anticipated in 2025.

Ideally, he wants to see the Greenbank Road project sped up to also include a section south to Barnsdale that can link up with this future highway interchange. 

That's a long way off, however. The MTO's study for the highway interchange will first have a 30-day consultation this summer before going to final design work. 

The study was initiated by the City of Ottawa itself, but paid for by the South Barrhaven Development Corporation, or Caivan Homes. A motion presented by Harder back in 2021 had said it would contribute up to $2 million to the study.