Viscount Avenue, Harrold Place and Veteran Avenue integrated renewal

Project description

The objective of the project is to replace the aging storm sewers, sanitary sewers, and watermains in Viscount Avenue, Harrold Place, and Veteran Avenue due to their poor condition. The project also includes replacement of sewers in Merivale Road at locations from Viscount Avenue to Carling Avenue. On Viscount Avenue, Harrold Place, and Veteran Avenue, the project involves the reconstruction of the roadway including new asphalt, curbs, catch basins, sidewalks, and traffic calming elements (where applicable).

The project limits include:

• Viscount Avenue from Merivale Road to Carling Avenue
• Harrold Place from dead-end to dead-end
• Veteran Avenue from Crerar Avenue to Viscount Avenue
• Merivale Road from Viscount Avenue to Carling Avenue

Project timing

Design: underway
Design completion: early 2025
Construction start: spring 2025
Construction completion: summer 2027

Project budget

Approved project funds to date are $1.03 million.
Construction funding subject to future Council approved budget. 

Public engagement

A public information session was held on June 17, 2024 and February 11, 2025 to present the design drawings to the public. At that time attendees were able to review the design, ask questions and provide comment 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. 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.

Should you have any inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact:

City Project Manager
Christine Reist, P.Eng. 
Senior Engineer, Infrastructure Projects 
City of Ottawa 
Tel: 613-580-2424, ext. 27820

Q1: I have decorative landscaping and gardens in my front yard, what will happen to them?

A: Work within the City’s property limits, including replacing water and sewer services up to the property line, often requires removal of existing landscaping features within the areas of excavation. Prior to construction, existing vegetation and landscaping will be documented and the contractor will be required to reinstate the disturbed areas close to existing conditions; however, if you have special plant species or are quite fond of certain plants, some homeowners choose to transplant those plants to other areas of their property.

Q2: Will I get a new driveway?

A: The City’s contractor will be responsible for reinstating any damaged portions of your driveway with a similar material (i.e., asphalt, interlock, concrete); however, this may result in a construction joint, which is typical practice within the City.

Q3: With construction comes construction-related noise. What is the City doing to mitigate noise?

A: The City’s contractor will typically operate within the parameters of the Noise By-law:

• Monday-Saturday: Between 7 am and 10 pm
• Sundays and holidays: Between 9 am and 10 pm

Some night or weekend work may be required during construction to limit daytime water or traffic disruptions. Night work outside of the typical operating hours requires an approved Noise By-law exemption and residents will be made aware in advance of the work. The City’s contractor will take every precaution to minimize interruptions to everyday life but, as you can appreciate, there may be some inconvenience during the course of the work, such as delays when travelling around the construction zone, noise, dust and vibrations.

Q4: Will utilities to nearby businesses and residents be impacted during the reconstruction? How will business and residents be notified when utilities (i.e. water, gas, electricity) are shut off?

A: During construction, there may be times where utilities, such as gas or water, will need to be interrupted. The City will provide 48 hours of notice of planned service disruptions; however, there may be instances when unforeseen construction issues will result in water, gas and hydro disruptions.

Q5: Will garbage/recycling pick-up and snow removal be impacted during the road closure?

A: The City’s contractor is responsible for coordination of garbage/recycling pick- up and snow removal within the construction zone. All City services outside of the construction zone will continue as normal. The project team will monitor these activities closely during construction.

Q6: Will the City’s contractor be replacing our services to the building?

A: As part of this assignment, the City’s contractor will be installing new water and sewer services on City of Ottawa property in areas where the watermain and sewers are to be replaced. The private services beyond the City property line will not be included in this work.

Q7: I recently had my lead service replaced, do you still need to replace my service?

A: A new service will be installed to your property line, regardless of the condition of the existing service, to ensure that there are no potential points of failure (splices/connections) on your service within the City right of way.

Q8: Why are you installing traffic calming measures?

A: The City’s Road Safety Action Plan (RSAP), approved in 2019, established that when local streets are reconstructed, they are designed for a 30 km/h operating speed. This project provides an opportunity to implement traffic calming measures to achieve this objective. The intention of the traffic calming measures is to reduce traffic speeds and promote a safer corridor for all users, while maintaining the existing traffic volumes.

Q9: I’m having home renovations, items delivered to my house, or I’m moving on a certain date, do I need to postpone this, or will my contractor/mover be able to access my house?

A: Our project team will be happy to help accommodate any resident requests and will work with the City’s contractor to ensure minimal disruption.

Q10: Who do I call if my property is damaged due to the construction activities?

A: If damage is incurred, please contact the City of Ottawa Project Manager, who will coordinate with the project team to ensure that a thorough review of the damage is undertaken. Please note that prior to construction activities commencing, a third party consultant will be hired by the contractor to document all existing exterior conditions of homes.

Q11: I have a disability, will I be able to get around the construction?

A: Under the terms and conditions of their contract, the contractor is required to prepare a Construction Site Pedestrian Control Plan which will ensure the provision of a safe and accessible path of travel for all pedestrians through and/or around the construction site. The plan shall ensure that persons with disabilities, as well as those with increased mobility needs (parents with strollers and/or young children, elderly pedestrians using canes, walkers, or wheelchairs, etc.), will be accommodated either through or around the construction site. The project team is available to review and facilitate accessibility related accommodations during construction.

The City of Ottawa held a public information session on February 11, 2025, at the Alexander Community Centre, 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 Viscount, Harrold Place and Veteran Integrated Renewal project in advance of the start of construction in spring 2025. 

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

Presentation [ 15.85 MB ]
Board 1 [ 1.11 MB ]
Board 2 [ 748.94 KB ]
Board 3 [ 886.28 KB ]

Frequently asked questions

Your input is an important part of the consultation process. Your feedback can be submitted via the online form, by email or by phone to the contact below by March 10, 2025.

What: The City of Ottawa is undertaking the rehabilitation of Viscount Avenue, Harrold Place and Veteran Avenue. The proposed rehabilitation consists of the replacement or reconstruction of the sanitary sewers, watermains, portions of the storm sewers, curbs, sidewalks and roads within the project limits. The project will also add traffic calming elements such as raised crosswalks, raised intersections, speed humps and curb extensions, where appropriate, to improve safety for all road users.

Why: The City is renewing the underground infrastructure to improve performance of our sewers and to improve the reliability of the water distribution system. The inclusion of integrated requirements for accessibility and pedestrian movements aligns with the direction provided by the City’s Accessibility Design Standards and the City’s Official Plan. 

Where: The project limits are as follows:

• Viscount Avenue (Carling Avenue to Merivale Road)
• Veteran Avenue (Crerar Avenue to Viscount Avenue)
• Merivale Road (Viscount Avenue to Carling Avenue)
• Harrold Place (Veteran Avenue to Veteran Avenue)

When: The current project schedule is as follows and is subject to funding approval:

• Design completion: winter 2025
• Construction start: spring 2025
• Substantial completion: fall 2026
• Final completion: summer 2027

Additional notices will be delivered to local residents prior to construction.

Who: The City of Ottawa has retained the design consulting firm, Robinson Consultants Inc., to develop a design for the reconstruction of this project.

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

City of Ottawa Project Manager
Christine Reist, P.Eng.
Senior Engineer, Infrastructure Projects
Design and Construction – Municipal
100 Constellation Drive, Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8
Tel.: 613-580-2424, ext. 27820

The City of Ottawa will undertake hydrovac excavation investigation in your neighbourhood. This work is being done to locate existing underground utilities as part of the design phase of the Viscount, Harrold and Veteran Integrated Renewal project. This project involves road reconstruction and watermain and sewer replacement. Residents will receive another notice for a public information session that is planned for early 2025. Construction is planned to begin in 2025.

What: The investigation work will involve hydrovac excavation to locate utilities at select locations. The work will confirm the horizontal and vertical location of the utilities to inform the ongoing design. The excavations will be reinstated. The investigations will be done by workers and equipment, as needed.

Why: This investigation work supports the design project.  

When: The field investigation work will commence in November 2024 and may take up to five days. The work will take place during off-peak traffic hours between 9 am and 3 pm. 

Where:

• Carling Avenue: localized spots between Merivale Road and Anna Avenue 
• Merivale Road: localized spots between Viscount Avenue and Carling Avenue

Who: The City of Ottawa has retained the engineering consultant, Robinson, and their subconsultant, Badger Daylighting, to perform the investigation.

Traffic

Traffic impacts are short term and temporary. Lane reductions are anticipated during this work. Flagpersons or signage will be onsite to direct traffic, cyclists and pedestrians.

Impact on the right of way and adjacent private properties

The underground investigation work will require the creation of holes into the road surface, which will be reinstated following the investigation. Private properties will not be impacted by this work.

Construction disruptions

The contractor will take every precaution to minimize interruptions to the normal life of your family and/or operation of your business, but as you can appreciate, there may be some inconvenience during construction, such as traffic delays and noise. We would like to thank you in advance 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 June 17, 2024, to discuss the proposed infrastructure improvement project in your neighbourhood. Preliminary design drawings were on display and a presentation was given. Staff were present to answer questions and receive comments. 

Residents can also participate through viewing and commenting on the online documents:

Presentation [ 1.40 MB ]
Board 01 [ 15.48 MB ]
Board 02 [ 10.88 MB ]
Board 03 [ 12.91 MB ]

Comments/Responses [ 231.77 KB ]

The preliminary design includes proposed traffic calming measures to achieve the City’s 30km/h operating speed design objective for local streets including speed humps, raised intersections, raised crosswalks, curb extensions and mid-block narrowing. More information about traffic calming can be found on the City’s Traffic Calming website.

Your input is an important part of the consultation process. Feedback from the preliminary design consultation process will be reviewed and considered in the development of the detailed design. Your feedback can be submitted by email or by phone to the contact below by July 8, 2024.

The following provides additional information about the project. 

What: The project involves replacement of sanitary sewers, watermains, and portions of the storm sewers within the project limits. The project also includes reconstruction of curbs, sidewalks, and roads on Viscount Avenue, Harrold Place, and Veteran Avenue, including the addition of traffic calming features.

Why: The objective of this project is to rehabilitate underground infrastructure and roadway infrastructure that is nearing the end of its lifespan. 

Where: The project limits are as follows:

• Viscount Avenue (Carling Avenue to Merivale Road)
• Veteran Avenue (Crerar Avenue to Viscount Avenue)
• Merivale Road (Viscount Avenue to Carling Avenue)
• Harrold Place (End to End)

When: Construction is planned to start in spring 2025 (pending budget approval) and completion of the majority of the work is anticipated by fall 2026. The remaining works are expected to be completed in spring 2027. Notices will be sent prior to construction.

Who: The City of Ottawa has retained the design consulting firm, Robinson Consultants Inc., to develop a design for the reconstruction of this project.

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

City Project Manager
Christine Reist, P.Eng.
Senior Engineer, Infrastructure Projects
100 Constellation Drive, Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8
Tel.: 613-580-2424, ext. 27820

The City of Ottawa will undertake a geotechnical investigation in your neighbourhood. This work is being done to determine existing underground soil conditions to support a design project that is underway. The design project involves road reconstruction and watermain and sewer replacement. Residents will receive another notice for a public information session that is planned for the spring of 2024. Construction is planned for 2025.

The following provides additional information on the geotechnical investigation.

What: The geotechnical investigation work will involve the drilling of boreholes and obtaining soil and water samples. Boreholes will be drilled within the City’s right of way in the paved road surface.

Why: This geotechnical investigation work supports the design project.

When: This work will take place in January 2024 and should take approximately one to two days. The work on Carling Avenue will take place during off-peak traffic hours between 9 am and 3 pm. Soil sample containers may remain on-site at some locations for an additional three weeks, pending lab results prior to being removed.

Where:

• Harrold Place: west of Veteran Avenue
• Carling Avenue: westbound left-turn lane at Merivale Road

Who: The City of Ottawa has retained the engineering consultant, Robinson, and their geotechnical subconsultant, GEMTEC, to perform the geotechnical investigation.

Traffic

Traffic impacts are short term and temporary. Lane reductions are anticipated during this work. Flaggers or signage will be onsite to direct traffic, cyclists and pedestrians.

Impact on the right of way and adjacent private properties

The underground investigation work will require the creation of holes into the road surface, which will be reinstated following the investigation. Private properties will not be impacted by this work.

Noise

You may notice noise during the geotechnical investigation work. The geotechnical investigation work is planned to occur during regular weekday hours (7 am to 5 pm). The City of Ottawa Noise By-law (2017-255) allows construction activity to occur weekdays and Saturdays between 7 am and 10 pm. On Sundays, statutory and public holidays work is permitted between 9 am and 10 pm. We would like to thank you in advance for your patience and co-operation.

The City of Ottawa will undertake a geotechnical investigation in your neighbourhood. This work is being done to determine existing underground soil conditions to support a design project that is underway. The design project involves road reconstruction and watermain and sewer replacement. Residents will receive another notice for a public information session that is planned for the spring of 2024. Construction is planned for 2025.

The following provides additional information on the geotechnical investigation.

What: The geotechnical investigation work will involve the drilling of boreholes and obtaining soil and water samples. Boreholes will be drilled within the City’s right of way in the paved road surface.

Why: This geotechnical investigation work supports the design project.

When: This work will begin in early December 2023 and should take approximately one to two weeks. Soil sample containers may remain on-site at some locations for an additional three weeks, pending lab results prior to being removed.

Where: Viscount Avenue, Veteran Avenue, Harrold Place and Merivale Road between Merivale Road and Carling Avenue.

Who: The City of Ottawa has retained the engineering consultant, Robinson, and their geotechnical subconsultant, GEMTEC, to perform the geotechnical investigation.

Traffic

Traffic impacts are short term and temporary. Lane reductions are anticipated during this work. Flaggers or signage will be onsite to direct traffic, cyclists and pedestrians.

Impact on the right of way and adjacent private properties

The underground investigation work will require the creation of holes into the road surface, which will be reinstated following the investigation. Private properties will not be impacted by this work.

Noise

You may notice noise during the geotechnical investigation work. The geotechnical investigation work is planned to occur during regular weekday hours (7 am to 5 pm). The City of Ottawa Noise By-law (2017-255) allows construction activity to occur weekdays and Saturdays between 7 am and 10 pm. On Sundays, statutory and public holidays work is permitted between 9 am and 10 pm. We would like to thank you in advance for your patience and co-operation.