Nightly closures on Wellington Street happening over several weeks

The City of Ottawa is warning motorists to plan ahead if they are travelling on Wellington Street at night over the next few weeks.

The roadway will have several nighttime and weekend closures between O’Connor and Metcalfe from late June until the end of July. There are detours in place during the closures.

Here are the dates and times:

• Westbound closure only – occurring June 19, nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. (reopening June 20, 6 a.m.)
• Westbound closure only – June 23 to 26, nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Full closure – July 2 to 3, nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. (reopening July 4)
• Full closure – July 4 to 6, closing on Friday at 6 p.m. and reopening on Monday, July 7 at 6 a.m.
• Full closure – July 7 to 9, nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. (reopening July 10)
• Full closure – July 14 to 15, nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. (reopening July 16)
• Full closure – July 21 to 24, nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. (reopening July 25)
• Full closure – July 25 to 27, closing on Friday at 6 p.m. and reopening on Monday, July 28, 6 a.m.
• Eastbound closure only – July 28 to 31, nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. (reopening August 1)

The construction is surrounding the Block 2 Redevelopment project, which is directly across from Parliament.

It will make sure some of the “iconic” heritage buildings in the nation’s capital are adapted to meet modern 21st-century parliament. It also aims to make sure the capital doesn’t lose touch with its past.

The federal government expropriated the buildings in 1973 to give itself space for parliamentary operations. Over the decades since, the area has changed, and the project is just another step in the “evolution,” the government notes on its website.

This area was known as “Banker’s Row” in the late 19th century since it was lined with Victorian-style banks, clubs and financial institutions.