Aylmer commuters 'held hostage' by bridge construction traffic

Normally, Jasmina Archambault's commute from her home in Gatineau's Aylmer sector to the Centretown Community Health Centre in Ottawa takes about 20 minutes.

During what she labels the "adjustment period" — when construction on the two westernmost bridges connecting Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., began in March  — her commute ballooned to nearly two hours.

Months later, her trip has settled down as drivers have adjusted, but she said it still takes over an hour for her to get to work.

"It's terrible. It's never enjoyable," she said.

Studying as a full-time student alongside her full-time job, Archambault said the lengthy commute displaces valuable family time.

Her concerns are a common refrain from Aylmer commuters, many of whom bemoan what they consider poor management of the bridges spanning the Ottawa River.

2 bridges under construction

One lane of the Champlain Bridge, the westernmost link connecting Ottawa to Gatineau, has been closed since March 20 and will remain closed until November, according to the National Capital Commission (NCC).

The NCC estimates the Champlain Bridge alone carries nearly a quarter of all motor vehicle traffic crossing the Ottawa River in the National Capital Region.

One lane in each direction will remain open throughout the construction process, the NCC said, but the speed limit will be reduced to 40 km/h.

Meanwhile, the Chaudière Crossing has been fully closed to motorists since March 31 and will remain so until July, according to Public Services and Procurement Canada, the government department that manages and operates the bridge.

The bridge's northbound lane was scheduled to reopen weekdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. as of May 5, but that date was pushed back due to high water levels.

Some Aylmer residents say the simultaneous bridge construction is forcing them to either sit in gridlock at the Champlain Bridge or venture further east to bottlenecks downtown.

That state of affairs, according to long-time Aylmer resident Dawn Tite, makes some commuters feel as though they're being "held hostage."

"We all feel very unheard. Very stuck," Tite said. "Four hours of your life every day, gone, just to sit there."

Many commutes have tripled, resident says

Tite said traffic is worst during typical rush hour time periods: weekday mornings from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and weekday evenings from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Afternoon traffic turns Island Park Drive into a "parking lot," Tite said, while motorists on the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway may sit for up to an hour waiting to turn onto the Champlain Bridge. It's common for Aylmer residents to report a tripling of their commute, she added.

Tite owns her own home renovation business and said, like many other commuters, she has no choice but to drive to work as she's "constantly lugging" lumber and cabinets to job sites.

Even on weekends, crossing into Ontario can take up to 90 minutes. That's why Daniel Dupont, who lives in Aylmer but drives across the Ottawa River to visit small towns in Ontario on weekends, has abandoned his pastime.

"There's no escape with those bridges, whether you want to work or you're going for fun," he said. "It's a roadblock."

Tite said the NCC's decision to reserve the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway for cyclists and pedestrians from 8 a.m. to noon on weekends through the spring and summer worsens an already tedious transit experience for weekend travelers.

Bridge work essential, NCC says

Hull-Aylmer MP Greg Fergus said he received numerous complaints from constituents when construction began, but those complaints have since died down.

Fergus circulated a petition at the end of March calling on the NCC to open two lanes on the Champlain Bridge in the same direction — toward Ottawa — during the morning rush hour.

That initiative was ultimately denied after consultations, he said, as both the City of Ottawa and the City of Gatineau opposed the plan.

Fergus called on commuters to take transit, carpool or leave earlier for work if they are in a position to do so.

"If you can change your work hours, do it, so that we can leave space for those who can't," he said.

In an email, the NCC said it is "mindful of the challenges" created by work on the bridges.

"This work is essential to preserving and maintaining this important asset," a spokesperson said.

The NCC said it accelerated timelines to complete construction one year ahead of schedule. It also scaled back its Weekend Bikedays program on the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway in response to community feedback.

Fergus called the NCC's reduction in active use hours a "fair" approach to managing the parkway, while the advocacy group Parkways for People told CBC Radio's All In A Day the loss of hours was a "disappointment."

The NCC said in its latest annual report its parkways received about 730,000 active use visits in 2021, good for a 10 per cent increase compared to the previous summer season.