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UPDATE: Lees Avenue Underpass Rapid Replacement – Highway 417 full closure on September 6-7

Beginning Saturday, September 6, at 6 p.m., Highway 417 will be closed to traffic in both directions between Nicholas Street and Vanier Parkway for the installation of the new Lees Avenue Bridge.

Please note that lane reductions will be in place prior to the full closure, beginning as early as 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 6. A single lane of traffic is expected to be open by 11 a.m. on Sunday, September 7. Full reopening of all lanes in both directions should occur by 5 a.m. on Monday, September 8.

During this time, there will be:
• No access to Highway 417 eastbound from Nicholas Street
• No access to Highway 417 eastbound from Isabella/Metcalfe streets
• No access to Highway 417 westbound from Vanier Parkway

Eastbound traffic will be required to exit Highway 417 no further east than Metcalfe Street (EXIT 119) and will be detoured via Main Street and Riverside Drive to Highway 417 eastbound.

Eastbound vehicles wishing to travel downtown or to Quebec via the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge will remain on Highway 417 to Nicholas Street (EXIT 118).

Westbound traffic will be required to exit Highway 417 no further west than Vanier Parkway (EXIT 117) and will be detoured via Riverside Drive and Bronson Avenue to Highway 417 westbound.

Westbound vehicles wishing to travel to Quebec via the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge will follow the marked detour along Vanier Parkway and St. Patrick Street to the bridge.

Detour routes will be signed and will remain in place until all lanes of traffic through the closed section of Highway 417 have been reopened.

As part of this work, Lees Avenue between Chapel Crescent and the Transitway is scheduled to reopen as of mid-September. Traffic is detoured via Main Street and Greenfield Avenue. Please note that Robinson Avenue between Lees Avenue and Hurdman Road will be closed as of 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 6 until 11 a.m. on Sunday, September 7. Residents of Lees Avenue and Hurdman Road will be required to exit the community via a temporary roadway from the east limit of Hurdman Road onto Highway 417 eastbound. Residents wishing to enter the Robinson Avenue community will need to present themselves to Ottawa Police officers at either of the Vanier Parkway westbound on-ramps from which point they will be escorted to the Robinson Avenue Community.

UPDATE: Please be advised that there will be parking restrictions associated with the closure of the highway. Restrictions will be in place along the following roads and will be in effect from noon on Saturday‎, September 6th to noon Sunday, September 7th.

· Isabella (south side) from O’Connor to Elgin
· Hawthorne (south side) Colonel By to Main
· Main (west side) from Hawthorne to Rideau River
· Main (east side) from Rideau River to Greenfield
· Bronson (east side) from Riverside to Catherine

Vehicles parked along these routes will not be ticketed if they were parked before the restricted signs have been installed, and given that they do not exceed the general city parking timeline of three hours. The city does not typically provide any additional advance notice of temporary parking restrictions.

As well, the closure of the eastern Rideau River multi-use pathway has been postponed and is tentatively rescheduled for mid September. Further details on the revised closure date will be provided closer to the date. The western pathway remains closed with detour signage in place.