Major Highway Repairs Cause Weekend Traffic Chaos
Commuters in Ottawa faced significant travel disruptions this weekend as extensive repairs to a critical watermain valve led to the closure of multiple lanes on Highway 417. The construction work, which began on Friday evening, created a traffic bottleneck that persisted throughout Saturday, testing the patience of drivers.
Specific Closures and Detours in Effect
Three westbound lanes between Vanier Parkway and the Nicholas Street/Mann Avenue off-ramp were shut down. These closures are not scheduled to be lifted until approximately 6 a.m. on Monday, creating a weekend-long headache for travelers. In addition to the main lane closures, two crucial on-ramps were also blocked, forcing drivers to navigate a complex detour.
Motorists attempting to access the westbound Highway 417 from Vanier Parkway were redirected south onto Riverside Drive, then east on Industrial Road, and finally north on St. Laurent Boulevard to loop back under the highway and reach the westbound on-ramp.
Traffic Snarls and Congestion Hotspots
The impact on traffic flow was severe. On Saturday, westbound vehicles were reduced to a crawl in the construction zone, with particularly heavy congestion observed under the Max Keeping Bridge and around the Vanier Parkway and Montreal Road intersection. Photos from the scene showed traffic backed up for significant distances around the Vanier Parkway ramps.
While travel conditions improved further west on the highway, drivers still encountered sporadic delays near Carling Avenue due to unrelated construction work, compounding the weekend's traffic woes. Authorities are advising motorists to seek alternate routes or allow for extra travel time until the repairs are completed on Monday morning.
