A massive bridge replacement over Kirkwood Avenue in Ottawa is about to start, closing both the eastbound and westbound lanes on Highway 417.
The highway will be closed at the Carling Ave. exit from 6:00 p.m. Saturday, to 11:00 a.m. Sunday.(CBC)
The highway will be closed at the Carling Avenue exit from 6:00 p.m. Saturday, to 11:00 a.m. Sunday. Alternative routes will be in place along Kirkwood, Maitland, Carling and Parkdale avenues, and on Merivale and Baseline roads. An overnight crew of more than 100 workers will replace the 55-year-old bridge at Kirkwood. The Kirkwood Avenue Bridge carries about 136,000 vehicles per day. The Ontario government said the bridge requires repair and widening to prepare for the future widening of the highway. The province says a traditional bridge replacement can take up to two or three years and this overnight project is considered to be a rapid replacement, to minimize disruptions for drivers. The province has already used rapid bridge replacement technology to replace bridges at three locations on Highway 417: Island Park in 2007, Clyde Avenue in 2008, and Carling Avenue Eastbound in 2011.