Traffic services

For ongoing traffic impacts, including updates on construction and roadwork, information about traffic and for travel planning, visit the City’s traffic map or follow the City’s traffic account on Twitter.

• Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is taking place on Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28. This event involves intermittent lane reductions and closures on various roadways along the routes.   A full listing of the lane reductions, road closures and times are located on the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend website(link is external).
• Heron Road westbound at Airport Parkway will have one lane closed overnight (7 pm to 6 am) on Monday, May 23 to Friday, July 21 for the Confederation Heights Bridge bearing replacement project. Please watch for flagging and signage. Pedestrians will be detoured to the south side of Heron Road.
• The following locations will have off-peak and overnight traffic impacts on Wednesday, May 10 to Friday, June 30 for road resurfacing work. Detours will be in place at all locations, and residents are asked to watch for flagging and signage. Pedestrian and cyclist access will be maintained, and OC Transpo bus stops will be temporarily relocated as required:
  • General lane reductions on Boteler Street, from Gilberte-Paquette Avenue to Dalhousie Street.
  • Centre lane closures on Island Park Drive, from Byron Avenue to 50 metres south of Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway.
  • Right lane closures on Bayswater Avenue, from Gladstone Avenue to Somerset Street
  • Left lane closures on Raymond Street, from Bronson Avenue to Booth Street.
  • Single lane reductions on Catherine Street, from Bronson Avenue off-ramp to Bronson Avenue.
  • Single lane reductions on Gladstone Avenue, from Parkdale to Melrose avenues.
  • General lane reductions on Preston Street, from 30 metres south to 30 metres north of Laurel Street.
  • General lane reductions at the following Parkdale Avenue intersections: Inglewood Place, Ruskin Street, Hutchinson Avenue, Kenilworth Drive, Orrin Avenue, Sherwood Avenue, Sims Avenue East, Foster Street.
  • Sidewalk closures on Preston Street East, from Carling Avenue to 40 metres south of Carling Avenue.
  • General lane reductions on Meadowlands Drive, from Ortona Avenue to Prince of Wales Drive.
  • Single lane reductions on the eastbound lanes of Hunt Club Road, from Paulanka Drive to Airport Parkway.
  • Centre lane closures on Hunt Club Road, from Riverside Drive to North Bowesville Road.
  • Sidewalk closures on McCarthy Road, from Hunt Club Road to Paul Anka Drive.
• Highway 174– The following Highway 174ramps and lanes will be closed for Stage 2 LRT roadwork:
  • Westbound Highway 174 is reduced to one lane at the Champlain interchange until Fall 2023.
  • Westbound Highway 174 is reduced to one lane from Champlain Street to Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard until the end of May 2023.
  • The westbound on-ramps from southbound and northbound Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard will at 9 pm on Friday, May 26, until 5:30 am Monday, May 29.
  • Westbound Highway 174 is reduced to one lane from the Sir Georges Etienne Cartier (SGEC) Parkway to Montréal Road on the weekend between Friday, May 26, 9 pm and Monday, May 29, 5:30 am.
  • Westbound Highway 174 will be reduced to one lane from Place d'Orléans to Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard at 5:30 pm on Sunday, May 28, until 5:30 am on Monday, May 29.
  • The eastbound on-ramps from Montréal Road will close at 7 pm on Friday, May 26, until 5:30 am on Monday, May 29.
  • Eastbound Highway 174 is reduced to one lane from Orléans Boulevard to Place d'Orléans Drive between 11 pm and 5:30 am on Thursday, May 25.
  • Eastbound Highway 174 will fully close between Tenth Line and Trim Road nightly between 8 pm to 5:30 am from Tuesday, May 23 until Saturday, May 27.
  • The eastbound off-ramp to Blair Road will close nightly between 8 pm and 5:30 a.m. from Thursday, May 25 until Saturday, May 27.
  • The eastbound off-ramp to Blair Road will be closed nightly between 8 pm and 5:30 a.m. on Monday, May 29 until Saturday, June 3.
  • Eastbound Highway 174 will fully close between Tenth Line Road and Trim Road nightly between 8 pm to 5:30 am from Monday, May 29 until Thursday, June 1.
  • Westbound Highway 174 is reduced to one lane at Sir Georges Etienne Cartier (SGEC) Parkway nightly between 10 pm and 5:30 a.m. on Monday, May 29 until Saturday, June 3.
• Orléans Boulevard at Highway 174 is reduced to a single lane in each direction until the end of 2023.
• Southbound Montréal Road will be reduced to one lane between 9 am and 3 pm from Monday, May 29 until Friday, June 2.
• Place d'Orléans Drive fully close nightly between 8 pm and 5:30 am from Thursday, May 25 until Saturday, May 27.
• Southbound Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard is expected to be reduced to one lane from Monday, May 29, 5:30 am until 5 pm Friday, June 16.
• Southbound Trim Road will fully close nightly between 10 pm and 5:30 am from Tuesday, May 30 until Thursday, June 1.
• Highway 417 – The following Highway 417 ramps and lanes will be closed for Stage 2 LRT roadwork:
  • The westbound Highway 417 off-ramp to Pinecrest Road is closed until fall 2023.
• Eastbound Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway between Woodroffe and Island Park will close and shift to westbound side from 7 am to 8 pm on Saturday, April 15 until mid-July 2023.
• Byron Avenue will have various blocks between Richardson Avenue and Compton Avenue closed daily from 7 am to 5 pm, and between Woodroffe Avenue and Sherbourne Road daily from 7 am to 5 pm until fall 2024.
• Cleary Avenue at Richmond Road is closed and shifted west until the end of 2024.
• Iris Street between Parkway Drive and Adirondack Drive will fully close from Monday, May 1 until Thursday, August 31. Detours are in place.
• Southbound Adirondack Drive at Iris Street is expected to close 7 am Tuesday, May 23 to 5 pm Saturday, June 3.
• Northbound Adirondack Drive at Iris Street is expected to close 6:30 pm Friday, June 3 to 7 am Monday, June 5.
• Eastbound Richmond Road between New Orchard Avenue and McEwen Avenue is fully close starting 9 pm Tuesday, May 23 until October 1, 2023. Detours are in place.
• Woodroffe Avenue between Richmond Road and Byron Avenue is expected to close starting 6 pm on May 26 to June 9. Detours are in place.
• Westbound Corkstown Road between Moodie Drive and March Road is closed in the eastbound direction from 5 pm to 7 am starting Tuesday, May 16 until Saturday, June 17.
• Corkstown Road between Moodie Drive and March Road will fully close starting 9 pm Sunday, May 28 to 5:30 am Monday, May 29
• Dumaurier Avenue between Ramsey Crescent to Ramsey Crescent will be closed 6 pm Sunday, May 28 to 7 am Saturday, July 8.
• The intersection of Earl Armstrong and Bowesville will have several lane reductions with flagging on daily basis until End of August.

For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

Pavement markings are important for the safety of all road users, especially during nighttime driving. Wear on road paint is accelerated where traffic volumes are high and snow, salt and grit further limits durability.

The annual pavement marking renewal program begins by May, following the start of road sweeping operations. All existing paint on the road is refreshed each year, including all intersection markings, longitudinal roadway lines, cycling facilities, traffic calming measures, and more.

Most of this work occurs at night when traffic volumes are low. In rural areas some work is completed during the daytime.

Priority

By May each year, crews are deployed all over Ottawa in the following priority sequencing:

1. Locations with irregular markings, and/or significant safety concerns
2. Cycling facilities and pedestrian crossovers (PXO)
3. High-volume roads and intersections
4. Low-volume roads

All pavement markings will be refreshed as part of this regularly scheduled maintenance, rather than based on requests from the public.

To request a change to existing pavement markings or the installation of new pavement markings, contact 3-1-1.

Equipment and Type of Paint

Several different vehicles and paint are used to refresh over 6,500 intersections and countless kilometres of roadway each year.

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) paint truck:

• Operates June to September, requiring warmer temperatures than other paint;
• The 2022 season is the second year applying MMA paint which is highly durable, having potential to reduce the workload of the annual maintenance program over time.

Acetone and Water-based paint truck:

• Operates May to November;
• Uses acetone-based paint in cooler spring and fall months, and water-based paint during warmer months.

Additional equipment for specialty markings

• Includes application of thermal plastic designs

The Traffic Service Catalogue outlines the services that are provided in relation to traffic safety inquiries. The Catalogue covers topics such as speed, pedestrians and cyclists, warning signs, traffic control, heavy trucks, parking and schools.

Seasonal load restrictions will no longer be in effect as of Monday, May 8, 2023.

During the spring thaw period, typically early March to mid-May, some roads cannot withstand heavy vehicle loads. Every year, the City of Ottawa monitors thaw progression by utilizing the forecast temperature data from Environment Canada and Weather Network to calculate the Thaw Index. When the Thaw Index reaches its threshold value, the load restrictions are imposed. Depending on the progression of the spring thaw, restrictions can come into effect quickly, sometimes with only a few days notice.

• During the Seasonal Load Restricted period, commercial vehicles or trailers with a gross vehicle weight in excess of five (5) tonnes or 11,000 pounds per axle are prohibited on roads identified as “Restricted Loads” on the Truck Route Maps, (Urban Truck Routes and Rural Truck Routes).
• These restrictions also apply to all non-truck routes. Roads designated as “Full-Loads” can carry full loads all year.
• Heavy vehicles that exceed weight limits on restricted load roadways during the spring thaw period are subject to fines.

For further information on seasonal load restrictions, please call 3-1-1.

Truck Route List