2021 Integrated Renewal: Ferndale Avenue and Beechgrove Avenue

Project description

The City of Ottawa is undertaking rehabilitation of select street segments within the Westboro Community. The overall objective of this project is to provide design and construction for approximately 270 metres of integrated road, water and sewer reconstruction on Ferndale Avenue, installation and reinstatement of approximately 50 metres of new watermain on Beechgrove Avenue, and formal abandonment of approximately 1,500 metres of retired sanitary sewer within several easements adjacent to the Sir John A. MacDonald parkway between Churchill Avenue and Patricia Avenue. A new sidewalk and asphalt resurfacing is proposed along the northern edge of Ferndale Avenue from Churchill Avenue North to Selby Avenue. Curb extensions will also be provided along Ferndale Avenue as a traffic calming measure. 

The project limits include:    

• Ferndale Avenue, Churchill Avenue North to 270 Ferndale Avenue;
• Beechgrove Avenue, 278 to 283 Beechgrove Avenue; and
• Easement on 155 & 170 Island Park Drive.

Project timing

Design: completed
Construction: summer 2024

Project budget

Approved project funds to date are $2,803,000.

Public engagement

An online engagement opportunity was held in April 2023 and a public information session was held in December 2023 to present new documents and illustrations to the public. The public was able to review the designs and provide written comments on the proposed works.

Accessibility

Accessibility is an important consideration for the City of Ottawa. The City makes every effort to provide access through and around construction sites. If you require a disability-related accommodation, please contact the project team listed below. Accessible formats and communication supports are available, upon request.

Safety

The City of Ottawa is committed to safety in and around project sites. The project team continues to work closely with the industry and to comply with recommendations provided by municipal, provincial and federal health officials, as well as the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

For any emergency outside normal working hours, please call the City at 3-1-1. 
For general information about this project, please contact the City’s Project Manager.
For construction related questions or concerns, please contact the Contractor Representatives.

City of Ottawa Project Manager
Jonathan Pach, P.Eng.
Senior Engineer, Infrastructure Projects
Tel.: 613-580-2424, ext. 23188
Email: jon.pach@ottawa.ca 

Contract Administrator
Greg Choquette, C.E.T., rcsi
Parsons Consultant 
Tel.: 613-327-7404

On-Site Representative
Andrew Gulya
City of Ottawa, Site Inspector
Tel.: 613-581-0186

Contractor Representatives
Stéphane Desjardins, P.Eng.
Project Manager, Louis W. Bray Construction
Tel.: 613-808-1615

Renzo Burri
Site Superintendent, Louis W. Bray Construction
Tel.: 613-889-6860

In May, the City of Ottawa will begin the rehabilitation of the road, water and sewers on Ferndale Avenue and Beechgrove Avenue.

What: The City of Ottawa is undertaking the renewal of the infrastructure on Ferndale and Beechgrove Avenues.

The proposed work on Ferndale Avenue consists of replacement of the sanitary sewer, replacement and extension of the watermain, partial replacement and extension of the storm sewer and full road reconstruction including a new concrete sidewalk on the north side of Ferndale Avenue, curbs, traffic calming measures, topsoil and sod reinstatement.

The proposed work on Beechgrove Avenue consists of approximately 50 metres of new watermain to connect two existing watermains, including trench reinstatement.

Why: The existing watermain, sanitary sewer and road infrastructure on Ferndale Avenue has reached the end of its useful life and requires replacement to continue to provide the required level of service to your neighborhood. The connection of the two watermains on Beechgrove Avenue will improve system reliability.
 
When: This work is tentatively planned to begin in late May 2024 and be completed by December 2024. Top lift asphalt and minor landscaping reinstatement may occur in spring 2025.

Where: The proposed work will occur on Ferndale Avenue between Churchill Avenue North and Selby Avenue and on Beechgrove Avenue between #278 and #283 Beechgrove Avenue.

Who:  The City of Ottawa has retained the contractor, Louis W. Bray Construction Ltd., to complete the work.

Traffic impacts

To accommodate the proposed construction, the contractor will be permitted to close Ferndale Avenue to all but local traffic for the majority of the construction season, and when not closed, lane reductions and alternating traffic is to be expected. Access to local businesses and private properties will be maintained throughout the construction period. Access for pedestrians and cyclists will also be maintained.

During construction, access to the Jules Leger Pathway will be maintained. The contractor will have traffic sign persons on site to assist with traffic.

On-street parking and local access

As the various road reconstruction activities are in progress, on-street parking will be restricted. Local access will be maintained to residents, businesses, and emergency vehicles. Periodically, vehicular access to your property may be unavailable; the contractor is required to provide 24-hour notification of temporary loss of vehicular access/egress to your property. A temporary On-Street Parking Permit will be made available to allow on-street parking within two blocks of your residence when these disruptions occur. Residents with electric vehicles will need to find alternative charging arrangements when access is restricted. The use of extension cords within the public right of way is not permitted.

Should you have additional concerns about reduced access, such as business deliveries or accessibility requirements, please contact the project manager.

Impact on the right of way and adjacent private properties

The reconstruction is within the City’s right of way but may result in some disruption to part of the private property directly adjacent to the work. The City will reinstate sections of landscaping, driveways and walkways that are disturbed by construction. However, if you have plants or any other assets located within the City’s right of way that you want to preserve, we suggest that you may want to move them in preparation for the construction work.

Lawn irrigation systems

If you own a subsurface lawn irrigation system, please notify the City Project Manager.

Pre-construction inspection

The contractor is required to carry out interior and exterior pre-construction inspections of consenting homes. The purpose of the pre-construction survey is to document current building and landscape conditions before construction commences. A representative from the contractor will be contacting you about these inspections.

It is to your benefit to allow the inspection to be conducted on your property, as it may assist with establishing the impact, if any, that construction has had at your property after work is completed. In addition, you may wish to complete your own survey of pre-construction conditions on your property. Your survey should include photographs.

As part of this contract, the contractor is assuming full responsibility for the construction work until it is entirely complete as well as any damages to private property resulting from these construction activities. In the event of such occurrences, all claims for damages should be immediately reported both verbally and in writing to the contractor. This will ensure prompt notification of appropriate authorities to complete the claim investigations.

Temporary water services

During the replacement of the watermain, water will be supplied to buildings by temporary water lines. While your property is on this temporary service, your water usage will be estimated as the temporary service is not metered. Your water bill will be based on the past average water usage for your address. If you have any questions regarding your water bill, please contact Revenue at 613-580-2444 or by email at WS-Billing@ottawa.ca.

During the advancement of water service transfers, a temporary water interruption (4 to 8 hours) is expected to allow for disconnection and reconnection. A notice of water interruption will be sent to affected residents 24 to 48 hours in advance.

Municipal fire suppression will continue during the construction period. Please note that private fire suppression systems may be impacted. Temporary water is provided for domestic consumption purposes only. If you have a private fire suppression system, it is recommended that you make arrangements with a fire protection services company in order to determine the extent of any impact.

We apologize in advance for any disruptions in water service during construction. Any problems with the temporary water services can be directed to the City’s on-site representative or call the City of Ottawa at 3-1-1 in the evenings or weekends.

Private house services

If your house/building was built prior to 1955, there is a possibility that your private water service may have been constructed using lead pipe (modern pipes are copper or HDPE). For those homes with a lead water pipe supplying water to the water meter, there is information regarding the City’s Lead Pipe Replacement Program available on the City’s website, ottawa.ca/leadpipes, or call 3-1-1.

Due to the age of buried infrastructure in this neighbourhood, it is possible that homeowners or the City have already replaced the sewer and water services (or a portion thereof) to certain homes. If all or a portion of the sewer and/or water services to your home have been replaced recently, please notify the City Project Manager.

Construction disruptions

The contractor will take every precaution to minimize interruptions to the everyday life of your family and/or operation of your business, but, as you can appreciate, there may be some inconvenience during the work, such as traffic delays, noise and dust. You may also feel vibrations due to heavy equipment operations. Vibrations from construction activities are quite common and are rarely a cause for concern. We would like to thank you for your patience and co-operation. For construction activity hours of work, the City of Ottawa follows provincial requirements and the City’s Noise By-law (2017-255).

The City of Ottawa held a Public Information Session on December 6, 2023, to discuss a reconstruction project planned in your neighbourhood. Through this session, the City of Ottawa presented the latest design drawings, proposed schedule, and construction information related to the Ferndale Avenue and Beechgrove Avenue Integrated Renewal project in advance of the start of construction in spring 2024. The information session also provided an update on the nearby Retired Sanitary Sewer Abandonment works planned for fall 2024. 

In addition to the above meeting, residents can also participate through viewing and commenting on the online documents:

Presentation [ 4.13 MB ]
Utilities [ 903.82 KB ]
Roadway modifications and landscape reinstatement [ 1.72 MB ]
Typical sections [ 342.74 KB ]

Your input is an important part of the consultation process. Your feedback can be submitted by email or by phone to the contact below, between December 6 and 20, 2023.

Project summary

What: The City of Ottawa is undertaking the design for the renewal of the infrastructure on Ferndale Avenue and Beechgrove Avenue. The proposed work on Ferndale Avenue consists of the replacement of the sanitary sewer, replacement and extension of the watermain, replacement and extension of the storm sewer and full road reconstruction with new concrete sidewalks, curbs and traffic calming measures. The proposed work on Beechgrove Avenue consists of approximately 50 metres of new watermain to connect two existing watermains, including trench reinstatement. In addition to the neighbourhood work, approximate 1500 metres of retired sanitary sewer (generally on NCC property) will be abandoned under a separate construction contract.

Why: The existing watermain, sanitary sewer and road infrastructure on Ferndale Avenue has reached the end of its useful life and requires replacement to continue to provide the required level of service to your neighborhood. The connection of the two watermains on Beechgrove Avenue will improve system reliability. 

When: The project design is scheduled to be completed by early 2024. Subject to budget approval, construction of the integrated renewal is expected to commence in the spring of 2024 and be completed by fall 2024. Top lift of asphalt and minor landscaping reinstatement in 2025.

Where: The proposed work will occur on Ferndale Avenue between Churchill Avenue North and Selby Avenue and on Beechgrove Avenue between 278 and 283 Beechgrove Avenue.

Who: The work is being managed by City of Ottawa Infrastructure Services and the engineering consulting firm, Parsons Inc., has been retained to complete the design.

For further information about this project and/or to submit comments, please contact the City project manager:

City of Ottawa Project Manager        
Kevin Gibbs, P.Eng.                            
Senior Engineer, Infrastructure Projects
100 Constellation Drive, Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8
Tel.: 613-580-2424, ext. 16633

The City of Ottawa remains committed to keeping the public informed of projects occurring in your neighbourhood and may use a variety of communication methods to update residents including but not limited to, mailed notices, ottawa.ca, in-person and online engagement opportunities.

The Integrated Renewal of Ferndale Avenue and Beechgrove Avenue project will be holding a virtual public meeting in April followed by an online engagement opportunity to provide residents with an update on this project.

A virtual public information session was held on Thursday April 13, 2023 at 7 pm. The information session outlined the project scope of work, design drawings and provided an opportunity for feedback and questions.

The City of Ottawa invites you to review and provide comments on the new documents and illustrations for the Integrated Renewal of Ferndale and Beechgrove project by April 27, 2023. Your feedback can be submitted by email or by phone to the contact below. 

Presentation [ 1.53 MB ]
Beechgrove Avenue_north/south [ 2.44 MB ]
Ferndale Avenue_north/south [ 2.06 MB ]
Ferndale Avenue_east/west [ 3.23 MB ]
Ferndale Avenue_proposed tree removal/plantings [ 3.20 MB ]

What: The City of Ottawa is undertaking the design for the renewal of the infrastructure on Ferndale Avenue and Beechgrove Avenue. The proposed work on Ferndale Avenue consists of the replacement of the sanitary sewer, replacement and extension of the watermain, extension of the storm sewer and full road reconstruction with new concrete sidewalks, curbs and traffic calming measures. The proposed work on Beechgrove Avenue consists of approximately 50m of new watermain to connect two existing watermains, including trench reinstatement.  In addition to the neighbourhood work, approximate 1500m of retired sanitary sewer (generally on NCC property) will be abandoned.   

Why: The existing watermain, sanitary sewer and road infrastructure on Ferndale Avenue has reached the end of its useful life and requires replacement to continue to provide the required level of service to your neighborhood.  The connection of the two watermains on Beechgrove Avenue will improve system reliability.

Where: The proposed work will occur on Ferndale Avenue between Churchill Avenue North and Selby Avenue and on Beechgrove Avenue between 278 and 283 Beechgrove. 

When: The design work for this project is ongoing and expected to be completed by summer 2023. An additional Public Information Session is tentatively planned for early spring 2024 to provide additional details about construction. Construction is expected to start in the spring of 2024 (pending budget approval). The timing for the project will be confirmed closer to construction.

Notices will be sent prior to construction.

Who: The work is being managed by City of Ottawa Infrastructure Services and the engineering consulting firm, Parsons Inc., has been retained to complete the design.

For further information about this project and/or to submit comments on the project, please contact the City project manager:

Lee-Anne Truong, P.Eng., PMP
Senior Engineer, Infrastructure Projects
Infrastructure and Water Services, Design and Construction
100 Constellation Drive, Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8
Tel.: 613-580-2424, ext. 24770