Expect road closures and transit delays during Biden Ottawa visit

The President and First Lady of the United States are visiting Ottawa and there are significant traffic and transit disruptions to be aware of between Thursday, March 23 and Friday, March 24.

The City of Ottawa said it is working closely with the RCMP, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) and other security partners to ensure that the safety of Joe and Jill Biden, as well as Ottawa residents during the visit. 

Roads affected by temporary disruptions on Thursday, March 23:

• Airport Parkway, between the Ottawa International Airport and Bronson Avenue
• Bronson Avenue, between Findlay Avenue and Airport Parkway
• Colonel By Drive, between Hog's Back Road and Daly Avenue
• Sussex Drive, between George Street and Princess Drive

Roads affected by temporary disruptions on Friday, March 24:

• Wellington Street (westbound), between Kent and Metcalfe streets
• Wellington Street (eastbound), between Lyon and Metcalfe streets
• Metcalfe Street, between Queen and Wellington streets
• O'Connor Street, between Queen and Wellington streets
• Bank Street, between Queen and Wellington streets
• Sussex Drive, between Rideau Street and Princess Avenue
• Princess Drive, between Sir George-Étienne Parkway and Sussex Drive
• Sir George-Étienne Parkway, between Bearbrook Road and Princess Drive
• Aviation Parkway, north of Montreal Road
• Airport Parkway, between the Ottawa International Airport and Bronson Avenue
• Bronson Avenue, between Holmwood Avenue and Airport Parkway
• Colonel By Drive, between Hog's Back Road and Daly Avenue
• Sussex Drive, between George Street and Princess Drive

Roads experiencing full closure from 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 23 to 11 p.m. on Friday, March 24:

• Wellington Street, between Metcalfe Street and Mackenzie Avenue
• Rideau Street, between Mackenzie Avenue and Dalhousie Street
• Elgin Street, between Queen and Wellington streets
• Mackenzie Avenue, between Murray and Rideau streets
• Colonel By Drive, between Daly Avenue and Rideau Street
• Sussex Drive, between Rideau Street and George Street

The city does not expected any significant traffic impact during the morning commute on Thursday, March 23, however, for security reasons, there could be last minute details released.

During motorcade movement, the Macdonald-Cartier and Alexandra bridges will have intermittent and temporary closures in both directions for all vehicular, cyclist and pedestrian traffic, while the Portage and Chaudière bridges will remain open in both directions.

Advice for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians:

• If possible, residents should avoid unnecessary travel around affected locations between March 23 and 24. 
• If you need to travel, please allow for additional time, pay attention to signage and detours, and plan possible alternate routes.

Advice for transit users:

• O-Train Line 1 service will operate as regularly scheduled. Some OC Transpo bus routes and Para Transpo service will experience travel delays due to road closures and
• various routes will experience detours during select time periods. Bus service will be detoured from Rideau Street to Mackenzie King Bridge on March 23 and 24.

Customers can stay up to date on the latest transit information by visiting octranspo.com, calling 613-560-5000 or following OC Transpo's Twitter account. Para Transpo customers can use the MyPara Transpo app to find the latest information available about their trip.

Advice for business and property owners:

• Communicate any operating changes to customers using social media channels, signage, etc.
• Advise of any anticipated or actual customer access issues for delivery, takeout, curbside pickup, appointments, etc.
• Connect with neighbouring businesses to communicate your operating plans and encourage them to reach out to customers and employees
• Appointment-based businesses should communicate that travel time to and through downtown will likely be impacted at various times and clients should plan ahead to avoid delays and missed appointments.
• Advise staff to plan accordingly and prepare for delays – whether they are travelling by vehicle, transit or cycling.
• Connect with suppliers in advance to advise of possible access impacts/intermittent road closures and confirm delivery times and availability of curbside loading zones.

Waste and recycling collection:

The city is not anticipating an impact to residential waste collection as a result of the visit, but residents can stay informed of curbside collection delays by signing up at ottawa.ca/CollectionCalendar to receive important service alerts by e-mail, phone or Twitter. 

Those looking to stay informed throughout the duration of the visit can use the following web pages and social channels:

• ottawa.ca/POTUSvisit and following the City of Ottawa on Facebook and Twitter.
• Follow the City of Ottawa's traffic account on Twitter and check out the online traffic map.
• Follow OC Transpo Live on Twitter for the latest service updates.
• Follow the RCMP and OPS on Twitter for other updates during the visit.

Anyone who has an emotional reaction to the increased security presence can reach out for help by calling the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region at 613-238-3311 for services in English or French.