2 km stretch of Richmond Road undergoing construction for three years starting this weekend

Stage 2 of Ottawa’s light rail transit (LRT) O-Train system is underway in the west end, and at the same time the city is undertaking major construction on one of the most-used throughways.

As a part of the new section of the LRT, the city needs to block off two kilometres of Richmond Road near Byron Avenue to reconfigure it for the O-Train.

“Travel through Richmond Road will be affected, however, access to and through the area will be maintained,” a city spokesperson said in an email. “There will not be a two-kilometre closure, local access will still be provided on westbound Richmond Road to ensure there will be access to local businesses/residents.”

The work is set to begin this weekend on July 20 and last until 2027.

Richmond Road will be closed for non-local traffic between McEwen Avenue and Cleary Avenue until then.

“Westbound Richmond Road will remain open for local access throughout the affected area,” the spokesperson said. 

The city said in a release that non-local traffic will be detoured onto Byron Avenue. Pedestrians and cyclists will also have detours in the area.

Bus stop locations on Richmond Road will also be moved, with more information at octranspo.com.

On top of the road reconfiguration, Byron Linear Park will get a full facelift. The small park will have new pathways, green spaces, benches and more.

The city said the revitalization will transform “the area into a vibrant community hub.”

Underground, the municipality is also replacing water and sewer mains and putting the finishing touches on the tunnel underneath Byron Linear Park for the LRT. Street lightening, traffic signals, signage, tree planting and landscaping will all be done in the next three years.

There will also be improvements to Richmond Road’s alignment.

“These improvements are designed to enhance connectivity and safety for pedestrians and cyclists within the area,” the press release reads.

A previous version of this article was posted with information about the closure of Richmond Road. Since then, the City of Ottawa has updated it’s messaging to say that a closure is not reflective of the situation.