Residents restless over not-so-rapid highway bridge replacement

• UPDATE: Chamberlain Street temporarily reopens to drivers Oct. 3, according to contractors KDMP.
• The city says Percy Street will temporarily reopen to pedestrians.

The rapid bridge replacement on Highway 417 over Percy Streetin Ottawa is proving not so rapid and residents who live nearby are growing restless as they deal with increased traffic on their normally quietstreet.

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) was expected to tear down the current overpass and lift anew one into placebetween Aug. 10and Aug. 14, but postponed the projectuntil further notice hours before closures were scheduled to start.

The city was dealing with heavy rain and flash flooding at the time but the MTO hasn't explained the delay.

Another recent attempt was alsodelayed, according to Coun. Tim Tierney,who chairs Ottawa's transportation committee.

"It's actually crickets," Tierney said,describing the communication the city has had with the MTO.

"We're really desperate for the province to tell us when it's going to happen because we have to align the policing, we have to align the detour signs," Tierney added.

The MTO said it's trying to confirm newdates.

"The ministry continues to work with its contractor, Kiewit-Dufferin Midtown Partnership (KDMP), on confirming the next available dates for the Percy Street bridges rapid replacements," MTOsaid in an emailed statement.

"Once dates are confirmed, notices will be sent to the public."

Extended detour

The Percy Street bridge replacement is part of years worth of work to widen sections of the Queensway and follows a similar bridge replacementin July over Bronson Avenue.

WATCH | What the Bronson replacement involved:

Watch a time-lapse of the Bronson overpass installation

1 year ago

Duration 0:59

Earlier this month, a stretch of Highway 417 through central Ottawa was closed as crews worked to install a prefabricated bridge over Bronson Avenue.

Percy Streetremains closed to pedestrians and vehicles under the highway between Catherine Streetand Glendale Avenueas construction work near the bridge continues.

Residents who live on Glendale are frustrated with the increased traffic being detoured down their street since the closure started in April.

"I'm worried about the little ones more than anything;there are a lot of children on the street," said Eileen Smith, who has lived on Glendalein the Glebe neighbourhoodfor nearly threedecades.

She said drivers arenot obeying the 30 km/h speed limit and the heavy traffic flowdoesn't belong on the quiet, two-way streetbookended by parks.

"It's ridiculous, and people are frustrated, they get to the [detour] sign, they're frustrated and they race through," said fellow Glendale resident Peggy O'Meara.

The lack of communication about what is causing the delays upsets cyclist David Barbour.

"I'd like to know why it's been delayed I mean they finished the other bridge in a weekend, right?" Barbour said.

CapitalCoun. Shawn Menardsaid city staff are workingwith MTOto eitherchange detour routesuntil the work gets started, or to get the work done as soonas possible.

"Obviously it's not a city decision, this is the MTO that's gotjurisdiction," Menard said.

"The detours are put in place by them, but we have our own jurisdiction, our own streets that we have been advocating to the MTO to return to residents given the frustration levels we're seeing in that area."

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