Achi news desk-
Drivers in Ottawa will soon have to deal with a major road closure affecting the eastbound on-ramp at Parkdale for nearly four months this summer.
Despite the inconvenience, some residents in the area are looking forward to the new construction.
“Rush hour used to be at a certain hour. Now it’s all the time,” said Jim McHugh, a longtime resident who lives near the Parkdale ramp.
McHugh has lived near the ramp for over two decades and has gotten a little used to the noise.
“We don’t hear the traffic anymore after 25 years. The only thing we hear is the motorbikes. And they are bad,” he added.
However, in just under two weeks, all that noisy traffic will be gone as the Parkdale ramp is set to close for construction from April 28th to August 25th. McHugh says these changes are long overdue.
“We waited for the replacement of these walls because these walls are not very effective for sound. We also want to have the sound barriers on the ramp. This is more important to us than up there,” he explained.
Crews will work on replacing retaining walls and noise barriers to improve safety and the integrity of the infrastructure.
Jason Forrest, administrative coordinator for the Wellington West BIA, expressed concern about the closure’s impact on local businesses.
“It’s going to be a challenge for our businesses to get traffic,” he said. “We hope it will be a strong season for cycling (and) scooters. And there’s also the LRT. It won’t necessarily reduce the challenges, but it will help alleviate some of them.”
Ottawa councilor Jeff Leifer acknowledged the mixed reactions among residents.
“I know for some residents, they’re looking forward to it because it will probably make Parkdale a little quieter for a while,” he said. “But I know for some other residents, they won’t be able to get on Queensway eastbound until Metcalfe. So, (there’s) a little more inconvenience there. Just make sure you plan for that when you’re eastbound.”
The shutdown also raises concerns for emergency services, with Ottawa paramedics preparing for detours while ensuring quick emergency responses during the shutdown.
“Our unit is (responding) from Civic Hospital, we’ll have to do a detour,” said Marc-Antoine Deschamps of Ottawa Paramedics. “However, this has been taken into account, and we have other paramedic positions in the area that could be more suitable and able to respond, without causing delays.”
Meanwhile, the eastbound ramp is expected to be closed from April 29 to May 14.
Despite the temporary disruptions, McHugh just hopes that these changes will bring a little more peace and quiet to his yard.
“We’re just hoping it goes nice and clean and easy,” McHugh said. “You have to live with it.”
