Ottawa commuters frustrated by transit and road closures
Lane closures and construction on Montreal Road, part of the LRT East Expansion on Saturday June 14, 2025 (Joshua Marano/CTV News Ottawa)
Lane reductions and road closures mean construction season is in full swing in the nation's capital, and as expected, commuters are not happy.
Several projects were planned at the start of the season to fix up roads and improve infrastructure, including work on Montreal Road, where all Highway 417 on-and-off ramps are closed for construction.
Only one lane in each direction is open, causing significant delays in commuter travel.
Coun. Tim Tierney, who serves as the chair of the public works and infrastructure committee, says the O-Train East Extension projects have caused major headaches for drivers.
'East of St. Laurent Boulevard, it's been pure traffic hell for over two years,' Tierney said.
'Over 500 closures, in different respects, just for construction of that east line and it's creating way too much demand on our streets.'
The Stage 2 East integration activities also took a toll on Line 1 riders, with scheduled maintenance this weekend resulting in no train service on Line 1.
Many riders not finding out about the closures until arriving at Blair Station.
'Having a train shutdown is not the most convenient, especially with not that much notice around for out-of-towners,' said Aerin Leavitt, visiting Ottawa from Vancouver for the week.Replacement buses were running between Tunney's Pasture and Blair Station to accommodate for the maintenance.
'I'm trying to hit some museums before I go, but this put a little bit of dent in those plans, I'm going to take the replacement bus, but it'll take a lot longer than it usually does,' Leavitt added.
The maintenance schedule for Line 1 also includes no train service of the entire line between 8 a.m. and noon on June 22 and on June 29.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
11 hours ago
- CTV News
This Winnipeg cafe cracks list of top Canadian outdoor dining experiences
Cibo Waterfront Cafe's patio is shown on May 24, 2025. (Cibo Waterfront Cafe/Instagram) Just in time for patio season, a Manitoba restaurant has been listed as one of Canada's best outdoor dining experiences. The nod comes via OpenTable – an online reservation service. The company analyzes customer reviews and metrics from restaurants available on its platform to find the 100 best outdoor summer dining experiences in Canada. Cibo Waterfront Cafe is the sole Manitoba representative on the list packed with glitzy Toronto and Vancouver hotspots. Cibo serves up Mediterranean fare inspired by its repurposed industrial Waterfront Drive building on the banks of the Red River. Its outdoor patio allows diners to take in views of the Esplanade Riel Bridge and the historic Exchange District while dining on arancini, cacio e pepe or a smash burger. It boasts a four-star rating on OpenTable. The entire list can be viewed on the reservation service's website.
CTV News
12 hours ago
- CTV News
Ottawa commuters frustrated by transit and road closures
Lane closures and construction on Montreal Road, part of the LRT East Expansion on Saturday June 14, 2025 (Joshua Marano/CTV News Ottawa) Lane reductions and road closures mean construction season is in full swing in the nation's capital, and as expected, commuters are not happy. Several projects were planned at the start of the season to fix up roads and improve infrastructure, including work on Montreal Road, where all Highway 417 on-and-off ramps are closed for construction. Only one lane in each direction is open, causing significant delays in commuter travel. Coun. Tim Tierney, who serves as the chair of the public works and infrastructure committee, says the O-Train East Extension projects have caused major headaches for drivers. 'East of St. Laurent Boulevard, it's been pure traffic hell for over two years,' Tierney said. 'Over 500 closures, in different respects, just for construction of that east line and it's creating way too much demand on our streets.' The Stage 2 East integration activities also took a toll on Line 1 riders, with scheduled maintenance this weekend resulting in no train service on Line 1. Many riders not finding out about the closures until arriving at Blair Station. 'Having a train shutdown is not the most convenient, especially with not that much notice around for out-of-towners,' said Aerin Leavitt, visiting Ottawa from Vancouver for the buses were running between Tunney's Pasture and Blair Station to accommodate for the maintenance. 'I'm trying to hit some museums before I go, but this put a little bit of dent in those plans, I'm going to take the replacement bus, but it'll take a lot longer than it usually does,' Leavitt added. The maintenance schedule for Line 1 also includes no train service of the entire line between 8 a.m. and noon on June 22 and on June 29.
CTV News
12 hours ago
- CTV News
Region of Waterloo International Airport celebrates 75th anniversary
Hundreds lined up outside the Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) on Saturday morning to help celebrate the airport's 75th anniversary. Hundreds lined up outside the Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) on Saturday morning — not to catch a flight, but to help celebrate the airport's 75th anniversary. Hundreds lined up outside the Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) on Saturday morning — not to catch a flight, but to help celebrate the airport's 75th anniversary. The airport paused flights midday to host a free open house for the public. The event gave attendees an opportunity to get an up-close look at various aircraft, explore historical memorabilia and view art on display throughout the terminal. 'The airport's been here since 1950 and we're thrilled with the turnout. Couldn't be a nicer day today,' said Chris Wood, airport director at YKF. 'We had lineups, about an hour and a half early but we were [also] out getting ready early this morning.' YKF 75th anniversary Region of Waterloo International Airport The Region of Waterloo International Airport celebrates 75 years, June 14, 2025 (Sidra Jafri/CTV News). Among the visitors was Christian Palileo, who recently moved to the region from the Philippines. Palileo, a licensed aircraft engineer, plans to study aircraft maintenance at Mohawk College in Hamilton starting in September. 'I saw this event on Facebook and I love airplanes,' said Palileo. 'And actually, I'm a licensed aircraft engineer in the Philippines and wanted to see how the aircraft stuff kind of looked like in Canada.' While YKF has undergone many changes over the years, one of the more significant recent upgrades came in 2022, when the airport expanded its terminal building to add more departure and arrival space. YKF 75th anniversary Region of Waterloo International Airport 2022 The official opening of the newly constructed 12,000 square foot domestic arrivals building in 2022 (Courtesy: Region of Waterloo International Airport). 'I think this airport's changed a lot and we wanted people to be able to come out and see it that don't necessarily get a chance to fly through the airport,' said Wood. 'A lot of people really love the work that's been done and [they] got to see some of the artwork and meet with some of the artists.' Gordon Millar, flight captain for COPA Flight 26, said he learned to fly at YKF in 1989. 'It was always a childhood dream of mine to become a pilot,' said Millar. '...Probably my most memorable memory would be my first solo… it was here and then I had to get the plane back down myself and everything went fine and I'm [still] here to [talk] about it. It's a memory that I'll definitely remember for the rest of my life.' History of YKF YKF 75th anniversary Region of Waterloo International Airport The Kitchener-Waterloo airport opens at Lexington Field in 1929 (Courtesy: Region of Waterloo International Airport). The Region of Waterloo International Airport first opened in 1950. Before that, the Kitchener-Waterloo Airport — also known as Lexington Airport — operated at Lexington Field in Waterloo, primarily for flight training. The current site was purchased from eight local farmers in 1949. The municipalities of Kitchener, Guelph, Galt, Waterloo and the Town of Preston jointly acquired 640 acres at a cost of $71,170, according to the airport's website . YKF 75th anniversary Region of Waterloo International Airport 1950 An aerial photo of YKF under construction in 1950 (Courtesy: Region of Waterloo International Airport). 'We got to celebrate what our accomplishments are in this region and how much this airport has done for the region,' said Millar. 'Lots of things would not have happened if it wasn't for this airport being here… the Perimeter Institute and the universities in this area and a lot of the businesses, they probably wouldn't be here without the support… so, it's a good thing to celebrate.'
