Ottawa-Gatineau traffic updates for July 27
Andrew Foote | CBC News | Posted: July 27, 2018 10:18 AM | Last Updated: July 27, 2018
Live traffic updates as they happen during the morning and afternoon commutes
Good afternoon commuters!
Welcome to another edition of Foote Fridays at the traffic desk.
The big traffic story for the weekend (that we can plan for) is the complete and total closure of Highway 417 tomorrow evening.
More on that later, because there are still traffic notes that are relevant for today.
Thursday's massive headache caused by a tractor-trailer rollover on eastbound Highway 417 is still at a light throb, since the on-ramp from Isabella Street is down a lane and the highway has lost its right lane as well.
Wellington Street West is still closed to through traffic between Bayswater and Parkdale avenues, though local traffic, pedestrians and cyclists can access this stretch.
It's fully closed in the block between Rosemount and Stirling avenues.
Route 11 buses are rerouting and skipping stops between Parkdale and Preston Street.
Doug mentioned some questions about Beechwood Avenue construction (or lack thereof) in Thursday morning's blog, I don't know all the details but the road reopened Thursday afternoon.
Queensway closing
Back to what's happening on the Queensway overnight Saturday.
The Harmer Avenue overpass has to be knocked down so it can be replaced.
This means Highway 417 is closed in both directions between Bronson and Carling Avenues from 5 p.m. Saturday to approximately 11 a.m. Sunday.
The city's suggested detours are good ones, suggesting you take Carling Avenue as far as you can:
Though if you want to go north on Island Park Drive or Booth Street and take the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway on Saturday for a more scenic route, be my guest (it's closed as of 9 a.m. Sunday for the NCC's Sunday Bikedays).
For a very rough idea of the added driving time this could cause, Google Maps suggests it takes three or four minutes to drive this stretch of highway in light traffic versus a little over 10 minutes to take the detour.
More weekend notes
You won't be able to take Somerset Street West all the way around the highway closure. It's hosting a night market and closing under the Chinatown arch as of 8 a.m. Friday until 10 p.m. Sunday.
That extends a block west at 6 p.m. Friday and a block east most of the day Saturday.
Bronson Avenue will stay open.
It's another weekend of roadwork closing ramps connecting Fallowfield Road to Highway 416.
This weekend the off-ramp from the highway to Fallowfield closes from 9 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Monday.
The ramp connecting eastbound Fallowfield to the highway's northbound lanes will also be unavailable.
There will be a crane plopped down on Sparks Street between Bay and Queen streets from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday that you won't be able to drive around.
Hog's Back Road closes for the National Capital Triathlon between Prince of Wales and Riverside drives from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Finally, lane reductions at the intersection of Walkley Road and St. Laurent Boulevard that have been in place for nearly two months are expected to end on Sunday
Have a great weekend!
If you have a traffic or commuter gripe about driving, cycling or being a pedestrian commuter — anything from problem intersections, to parking, to inefficient routes — send it to Doug at doug.hempstead@cbc.ca.
And remember, you can share what you see on the roads with me on Twitter at @cbcotttraffic. Or give me a ring at 613-288-6900.