By Ron Rose
The first year of construction on Main Street is winding down. The project remains on target for completion in 2017.
The east side of Main Street between Lees and Clegg now provides a glimpse of what the new complete street will look like: a wider sidewalk, cycle path, pedestrian lighting and the foundations for public art.
December will see much of the reconstruction cease for winter. City project manager Josée Vallée provided the Mainstreeter with an update on progress to date and plans for next year.
By the end of November, most reconstruction will have been completed between Harvey and Clegg streets, she said.
The 1.2 metre-deep storm sewer between Greenfield and Springhurst avenues is now complete, as is the watermain and utility conduit installation between Hawthorne Avenue and Clegg Street.
Both lanes of Main Street have received two layers of asphalt. Much of the curbing between Lees Avenue and Clegg Street is poured.
While street reconstruction will take a winter holiday, other construction activities will continue Vallée said.
“Enbridge will install a new gas main on the west side of Main Street from Lees Avenue to Hazel Street as well as other work to support future residential developments in the neighbourhood,” she said. ”Hydro Ottawa will then install new poles from the Queensway Bridge to Clegg Street, transfer the wires to the new poles and remove the old poles.”
Traffic on Main Street during winter will remain one-way southbound between Lees Avenue and Clegg Street. One lane in each direction will be open from Echo Drive to Lees. This means residents north of the Queensway will be able to access their community from Hawthorne Avenue again.
Construction will start again in March. Activities will begin near Rideau River Drive and continue north toward Clegg Street. Crews will also return to continue work north of Clegg in April.
Northbound traffic between Riverdale Avenue and Clegg Street will be prohibited, beginning in April. This will mean northbound cut-through traffic on Mason, Bower and McGillivray will cease after that date.
Elliot Avenue and Marlowe Crescent will likely see an increase in traffic flow. Residents between Riverdale and Clegg west of Main Street will have to use the Elliot-Marlowe-Clegg route to access their homes from the south.
Once the northbound lane of Main Street is closed north of Riverdale, OC Transpo buses will also take the Elliot-Marlowe-Clegg route through the community.
“Full reconstruction of the section of Main Street from Clegg St to the McIlraith Bridge will occur in 2016,” said Vallée. “The final layer of asphalt and some landscaping will be completed in the spring-summer of 2017.”
The McIlraith Bridge over the Rideau River has undergone a major reconstruction at the same time as Main Street. The work has reduced space on the bridge to one narrow lane in each direction. Cyclists share the lanes with automobiles.
Traffic will continue to use the west side of the bridge until next spring while the city removes the concrete median and makes structural improvements to the bridge deck.
Bridge reconstruction is also on schedule and should be completed in 2016.
Besides Main Street reconstruction, two other events will occur next year.
The city will reconstruct the Brantwood Place gates and move them slightly east of their current location. In addition, the city will rebuild the Main Street-Riverdale Avenue intersection. As a result, the intersection will take up much less space.
The community is looking at adding greenery to the liberated areas adjacent to Riverdale.
