Vanier celebrates 'massive milestone' as Montreal Road reopens
Two-kilometre stretch was blocked off for $64M rehabilitation project
Sarah Kester · CBC News
Posted: Oct 23, 2022 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 7 hours ago
Montreal Road businesses say they're hoping for more customers now that a two-kilometre stretch under construction since 2019 is once again open to two-way traffic and transit.
The $64-million project spans from North River Road to St. Laurent Boulevard and involves a complete revitalization of the street, with 900 metres of buried hydro lines plus new sewers, water mains and storm drains.
The road itself has also been rebuilt, complete with new bike lanes and sidewalks and improved transit accommodations like bus shelters and benches.
The past three years had been "challenging" ones, especially when the street was restricted to westbound traffic only, said Finnigan's Pub owner Drew Dobson.
"But I guess the real, the fundamental reason for the project was to fix the aging industry infrastructure," Dobson said. "And we had water main breaks regularly, which would close us down. So they needed to do that."
Dobson said while he's happy the road has reopened, he'll be "even happier" when the project is fully completed, something projected to happen next year.
"I think the idea is that the community, the business community will now grow into the street. And hopefully we'll have a thriving, prosperous main street."
The community celebrated the road's opening Saturday with music and food stalls at the Carré de la Francophonie de Vanier, a new public square.
Julia Dahdah, co-owner of the local Quelque Chose Patisserie chain, said the revitalization looks good and hoped it would bring more cyclists and pedestrians to their bakery at the corner of Lajoie Street.
She said sales at her other locations had to make up the difference for lost revenue, as the Montreal Road construction made it hard for customers to find their Vanier bakery.
"We really have, like, high expectations of this change and are hoping to enjoy the renovation of the street next summer," Dahdah said.
Nathalie Carrier, executive director of the Vanier BIA, said the construction has been hard on businesses especially as it coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The road closure meant businesses didn't have access to loading docks, Carrier said, making it hard for food delivery services to do their job.
But the renewed access to Montreal Road and its more pedestrian-friendly road design is really going to help going forward, she added.
"We know that cars don't shop. People shop," said Carrier. "So if you make space for people ... shopping goes up."
People who live in the neighbourhood told CBC News they're happy because the reopening should reduce traffic and allow them better access to side streets.
"I'm a big runner, so it's nice that there's gonna be some more space to go running here," said Marc-Andre Groulx, who lives in the area.
Noah Mank said the landscaping and design of the road looked great, but he was most excited for the renewed access.
"I think it's gonna make getting out of my house a lot easier," he said.
Even with some final landscaping and cycle track work still to be done between now and next spring, outgoing Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury said the reopening was a "massive milestone."
"It's a main street in Ottawa," he said. "It's been under construction for so long."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...pens-1.6626310
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