Montreal Road Revitalization

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Project limits

The project limits for Montreal Road are North River Road to St. Laurent Boulevard for a total distance of 2 kilometres. In addition to the Montreal Road corridor, the project includes reconstruction of North River Road from Montreal Road to the North River Road cul-de-sac for a total distance of 560 metres length.

Key plan [ PDF - 377 KB ]

Landscape roll plan [ PDF - 6 MB ]

Project description

The City of Ottawa has completed the 18-month long detail design phase of the Montreal Road corridor and construction began in June 2019.

The ultimate vision for Montreal Road is to construct a vibrant and welcoming main street with a well-balanced transportation network that will allow residents and businesses to thrive. To achieve this vision, some of the following aboveground and underground improvements are proposed:

• Construct a three-lane cross section between Vanier Parkway and St. Laurent Boulevard that includes two eastbound lanes, one westbound lane and cycling tracks/lanes in both directions.
• Bury overhead Hydro lines between North River Road and L’Eglise Street.
• Implement streetscaping features along Montreal Road, including but not limited to new street furniture, streetlights, trees, concrete sidewalks and paver stones.
• Review and improve bus stop and bus shelter locations.
• Replace the existing watermain between North River Road and St. Laurent Boulevard.
• Replace sanitary and storm sewers along certain sections of Montreal Road.

As part of the Montreal Road project, the 560 metre long section of North River Road (north of Montreal Road) is planned for reconstruction. The proposed works include replacement of the watermain, sanitary sewers and road drainage modifications.

Project timing

Project construction began in June 2019 with underground utility work. A general summary of the construction timelines and project staging are as follows:

• Year 1 (2019) – Construction of underground Hydro Ottawa conduits and other utility work on Montreal Road between North River Road and de L’Eglise Street.
• Year 2 (2020) – Continued utility work as well as watermain and sewer construction on Montreal Road and North River Road (Montreal Road to north cul-de-sac). Completed road and underground work along Montreal Road between North River Road and the Vanier Parkway.
• Year 3 (2021) – Continued underground watermain, sewer and surface works (sidewalk, cycle track and road) on Montreal Road between the Vanier Parkway and St. Laurent Boulevard. By Year 3, most surface works will be completed between North River Road and Lafontaine Avenue.
• Year 4 (2022) – Complete underground sewer and surface works (sidewalk, cycle track and road) up to St. Laurent Boulevard. Complete landscape and streetscape work as well as final lift of asphalt pavement on Montreal Road. The project is scheduled for completion in late fall 2022.

The above timelines and sequence of work may change as the work progresses along Montreal Road.

Project budget

The City is making a significant investment to renew Montreal Road and North River Road (estimated at $64 million) with funding authority identified as part of the 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 capital budgets.

Public engagement

Some examples of public engagement for the project have included:

• Public information sessions – first public information session was held in April 2018. The second public information session was held on May 13, 2019.
• Meetings with the Vanier Community Association and Quartier Vanier BIA to provide project updates, receive feedback and answer questions.
• Working group meetings with members from the Vanier Community Association and Quartier Vanier BIA with the purpose of obtaining input on specific issues involving significant design decisions.
• Project newsletter (monthly to date, may be more frequent as construction ramps up).
• Regular communication with individual business owners and residents affected by the proposed improvements.

Contact information

For further information, please contact the project team or alternatively, the City Project Manager:

Mario Kotowski, P.Eng.
Senior Engineer, Infrastructure Projects
Design and Construction Municipal Branch
Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development Department
City of Ottawa
Tel: 613-580-2424, ext. 26075

Pedestrian access to local businesses and private properties will be maintained throughout the construction period. Montreal Road businesses remain open. For more information on how to support Montreal Road businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit the Vanier BIA website.

Construction for the Montreal Road revitalization project is resuming this spring. The project is scheduled to be completed at the end of this year.

Beginning on Sunday, April 24, 2022, Montreal Road will be reduced to a single westbound lane from St. Laurent Boulevard to the Vanier Parkway until approximately mid-September 2022 for watermain, sewer and road work. Some segments of Montreal Road will have two-way traffic predominantly for buses.

Due to the lane closures, there are traffic and transit impacts in the area as indicated in the below detour maps. A temporary detour of OC Transpo buses will be necessary to maintain bus services in the community.

While Montreal Road is reduced to a single westbound lane, eastbound traffic, including cyclists, will be detoured via North River Road and Vanier Parkway to McArthur Avenue and St. Laurent Boulevard. Most side streets will close temporarily, with access provided at key intersections (Olmstead, Marier, Lacasse and Cantin).

OC Transpo will also be modified. For more information about transit routes, visit octranspo.com.

Access to local businesses will be maintained and Montreal Road businesses remain open during construction.

2022 scheduled work and timelines

• Underground water and sewer pipes: Underground work will take place along Montreal Road at Lafontaine Avenue and St Laurent Boulevard from mid-April until late August. The work at Lafontaine Avenue involves replacement of storm sewer, sanitary sewer and watermain pipe that will last several months.
• Road and concrete sidewalks: Road work will continue as crews complete the road surface, curbs, cycle tracks and sidewalk between Lafontaine Avenue and St. Laurent Boulevard from May to late September. The final lift of asphalt will also be completed along the 2-kilometre section of Montreal Road from North River Road to St. Laurent Boulevard.
• Landscaping and streetscaping: Crews will be planting trees and shrubs, installing pavers, street furniture and bus shelters along Montreal Road from May to late October. Plaza work at Emond Street, Dupuis Street and Bradley Street will also be completed.
• Hydro pole burial: Hydro pole burial will take place on the south side of Montreal Road between Altha Avenue and L’Eglise Street from June to late November. The work will include burial of the Hydro Ottawa overhead powerline as well as other telecom utilities.

As part of the North River Road reconstruction, several traffic calming measures are proposed as well as pedestrian and cycling features that will further enhance this section of road. The improvements include:

• A pedestrian crossover (PXO) on the north side of the Mark Avenue/North River Road intersection. Adjacent to the PXO on the west side of North River Road is a curb depression that allows cyclists to enter or exit the Multi Use Path (MUP) from Mark Avenue.
• Two speed humps located approximately 30 metres north and 30 metres south of the Mark Avenue/North River Road PXO
• One speed hump located halfway between Wayling Avenue and Tudor Place
• One speed hump located halfway between Tudor Place and Coupal Street
• A pedestrian crossover (PXO) on the north side of the Coupal Street/North River Road intersection. Adjacent to the PXO on the west side of North River Road is a curb depression that allows cyclists to enter or exit the Multi Use Path (MUP) from Coupal Street.

Construction of the traffic calming measures will be completed in 2022 as part of the ongoing Montreal Road revitalization work. 

Over time, deposits can accumulate inside pipes and whenever work is performed on watermains or fire hydrants, scale or sediment can be disrupted resulting on discoloured water.

If the water in your cold water tap or toilet tank is rusty, yellow, or discoloured, this indicates the presence of iron, sometimes found in areas that are supplied by cast iron water mains. This discolouration is usually caused by nearby construction. Sudden changes in flow can disturb rust or iron sediment within older water mains. This is a fairly common occurrence and is normally solved by City staff flushing the water main through a hydrant. Please note that these low levels of iron, while not aesthetically pleasing, do not pose a health concern.

If you observe “rusty” water, flush your cold water tap for several minutes until it runs clear. We recommend that you do not drink or wash laundry with discoloured water. If the issue persists for more than a few hours, call 3-1-1 to arrange for a site visit.

If you have any questions, please contact the City at 3-1-1, info-water@ottawa.ca or visit the City’s website at ottawa.ca.

Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated and we apologize for any inconvenience.