Montreal Road Revitalization

The Montreal Road Revitalization Project is substantially complete and currently in the warranty stage.

A small section of work is remaining which includes the completion of sidewalk and cycle track on the south side of Montreal Road between North River Road and Montgomery Street as well as landscaping / streetscaping improvements to the southeast corner of North River Road and Montreal Road.  

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 completed the 18-month long detail design of the Montreal Road corridor in 2019. Construction began in 2019 and was substantially completed in 2023.

The ultimate vision for Montreal Road was to construct a vibrant and welcoming main street with a well-balanced transportation network that allows residents and businesses to thrive. To achieve this vision, the following aboveground and underground improvements were implemented:

• Construction of 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.
• Burial of overhead Hydro lines between North River Road and L’Eglise Street.
• Implementation of streetscaping features along Montreal Road, including but not limited to new street furniture, streetlights, trees, concrete sidewalks and paver stones.
• Improved bus stop and bus shelter locations.
• Replacement of existing watermain between North River Road and St. Laurent Boulevard.
• Replacement of sanitary and storm sewers along certain sections of Montreal Road.
• Inclusion of traffic calming measures and pedestrian/cycling features on North River Road.

As part of the Montreal Road project, the 560 metre long section of North River Road (north of Montreal Road) was reconstructed. The works included replacement of the watermain, sanitary sewers and road drainage modifications.

Public Art “Rideau” (Southeast corner of Montreal Road and North River Road)

As a part of the Montreal Road Project and the Public Art Program, the City of Ottawa is working towards the addition of a new public art piece for the neighborhood of Vanier. The artwork by the international group StudioKCA entitled Rideau will act as the gateway entrance to Vanier at the southeast corner of Montreal Road and North River Road. Additional information can be found on the Vanier and Montreal Road Public Art Plan webpage.

The installation of the art is being coordinated around the final landscaping and streetscaping works and is anticipated for summer 2025.

2023 (TAC) Active Transportation Achievement Award

The Montreal Road project was the proud recipient of the 2023 Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) Active Transportation Achievement Award. The award recognizes initiatives that demonstrate excellence in the improvement of facilities or services to encourage and benefit people who walk, bike or use other forms of active transportation.

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.

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.

Contact information

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

City Project Manager
Andrew Arseneault, P.Eng.
Senior Engineer, Infrastructure Projects
Design and Construction – Municipal
100 Constellation Drive, Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8
Tel: 613-315-4625

Public information sessions

Public information session display boards and comments summary

• Public information session #2 (May 13, 2019)
• Public information session #1 (April 24, 2018)
• Presentation to Montreal Road BIA (November 19, 2019) [ 5.14 MB ]

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.