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Construction info
Phase 2 Update Posted on: 9/18/2009 2:04:38 PM Did you ever think you would be so happy to see asphalt??
Wellington St West is now paved with the first layer of asphalt all the way from Parkdale Avenue to Merton Street! We can confirm that both the contractor and the weather are sticking to schedule and the roadway is slated to be paved and open again to two-way traffic by Nov 15th. We're also happy to report that the contractor has been leaving the site with a minimum of three open stretches for parking along Wellington St West, unencumbered by supplies or equipment.
Note that new sidewalk curbs are being installed between McCormick and Carruthers. The set of curbs that were installed last month rang alarm bells for area businesses and residents as it appeared that the roadway would be too narrow for buses, motorists and cyclists to jointly navigate.
Councillor Christine Leadman called a meeting with construction staff and City officials, and after the consultation, plans were redrawn to make the roadway wider in that area. The focus on narrowing the distance between the north and south sides of the street with bulb-outs and redesigned intersections has been made with the goal to increase pedestrian safety. In this case however, maybe the emphasis went a bit overboard. Thank you to the City and Councillor Leadman for listening to local concerns!
The paved road is a bonus for Taste of Wellington West visitors next Saturday, September 26th (1:30 - 3:30pm) when 32 local food shops and restaurants will be offering free tastes of their house specialties to the public. Please see the Calendar of Events at www.wellingtonwest.ca for more info and a map. Please note too that other businesses will be participating as well. Elmdale House Tavern for instance has arranged live music on the sidewalk; Renu Spa is offering some free 'taster' services like chair massages, skin analysis, hand and arm massage, etc.
Come walk around Wellington West -- there's a lot to check out!
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On Schedule to Complete Phase 2 Wellington St W by Nov 15thPosted on: 9/3/2009 2:28:42 PM It’s official, we’re home to the hardest rock in the city!
Does that mean we have more heavy metal bands per capita than other neighbourhoods? Well, we do have plenty of great local bands (and cool venues to hear them in like Elmdale House Tavern, Daniel O’Connell’s Pub and The Carleton) but it’s the rock beneath our feet – and beneath our street – that is so hard. And it’s the rock – as opposed to the sandy subsoil that can be found in many other parts of the city – that has made Phase 2 of the Wellington Street West Road Reconstruction Project such an enormous effort.
This ‘rocky’ aspect of the project was explained to local business owners and residents by City of Ottawa project manager Max Ross at a “Construction Update” meeting held August 27th at Hintonburg Community Centre. Ross noted the challenges of the project and outlined the progress of this summer’s construction, which at 1400 metres is the longest stretch of roadway the City has ever attempted to rebuild in one season.
Physical conditions combined with the rainy summer made the project very difficult. Fortunately, however, they have not significantly delayed the contractor’s schedule. Ottawa Greenbelt still plans to reopen Wellington St W to 2-way traffic by November 15, 2009. This is welcome news for local businesses and residents!
As was the case with Phase 1 (Western Ave east to Parkdale) the sidewalks in Phase 2 (Parkdale east to Bayview) will be resurfaced with asphalt this fall, and only next year will the interlocking paving stones be installed. Crews will start as soon as the ground thaws and work is slated to be completed by June 30, 2010. Landscaping and installation of benches will occur next Spring as well.
Businesses and property owners at the meeting also heard some other good news – Wellington West BIA has had a solid response to its new “Live Local! Love Local! Shop Local!” promotional contest, designed to support local merchants affected by the road reconstruction. The campaign gives shoppers a chance to win one of ten gift certificates each month. All they have to do to enter is drop off a postcard with their name and contact info at the Hintonburg Community Centre.
The “Live Local! Love Local! Shop Local!” campaign encourages people to celebrate their favourite local shops and to look for extra opportunities to shop there. After all, our many independent business owners play a vital role in our community, providing jobs, goods and services and security as well.
Please continue to shop locally to strengthen our local economy and our community.
Congratulations to the first round of “Live Local! Love Local! Shop Local!” winners: Lisa P, Ron P, Beth H, Jayne V, Ted K, Tasha C, Geoffrey B, Geoff M, Sandrine M, and Belinda C each won a gift certificate to one of these local shops:
Hino’s Restaurant, Helen’s Cuisine Melrose Grocery, Cozy’s Family Restaurant, Elmdale House, Celebrity Hair, Character Salon, Merge, Wabi Sabi, Fab Gear 64 and Heavens to Betsy.
Keep entering to win! Postcard raffle tickets are available at Hintonburg shops and services.
-30-
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Phase 2 UpdatePosted on: 8/26/2009 6:53:51 PM The rain and bad weather certainly affected the progress of this summer's construction on Wellington St W but by how much? If you're curious to know details of the project and want to ask specific questions, please plan to attend an evening meeting with the City of Ottawa's construction project manager Max Ross, hosted by WWBIA.
Find out how much has been completed and what is still to come.
Date: Thursday, August 27, 2009
Location: Hintonburg Community Centre, 1064 Wellington St W
Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
For more info, please call 613 875.2242
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Update: June 29, 2009Posted on: 6/29/2009 4:09:05 PM (Thanks to Stephanie for pointing out that it’s still June, and not July as noted in the email version of the last update!)
Do you remember Phase 1 last summer (Western Ave east to Parkdale Ave)? City of Ottawa project manager Max Ross declared it to be the longest stretch of roadwork that the City had ever completed in one go. That phase was 900 metres long. Conditions were good (mostly sandy soil), the weather was cooperative (the project started early in April and ended on December 5th) and the heavy excavation part of the project went smoothly, all things considered.
Now we are experiencing Phase 2 (Parkdale Ave east to Bayview). Guess how long this stretch is? 1400 metres! That’s 1.4 kilometres or 0.87 miles long. And it’s almost solid rock. The contractor’s response to these challenges has been to pour crews down upon us. Last week there were 7 to 9 crews working in a 600-metre stretch. Whew, that’s a lot! We hope it’s working!
Much of the work is being done on Wellington St W intersections.
Here’s a summary:
1. Melrose/Pinhey intersection was been backfilled and was open for the weekend. Will likely stay open until Wednesday of this week.
2. Carruthers - Bell is still working on the manholes.
3. Sterling – ditto above. Framing for the manhole is underway.
4. Garland - watermain work is still being completed.
5. Safety: Neighbours are very concerned with traffic violations at the Parkdale and Armstrong intersection by Parkdale Market. Ottawa Police have been notified and we’re expecting to see a patrol car parked there soon to help remind drivers to relax and take it easy at that intersection.
Bell is slowly making its way out, and Tomlinson (the guys in the red hard hats) is on the way in. Tomlinson is the company that does the curbs, electrical work for the streetlights, and the road paving at the very end of the job. The fact that Tomlinson has started before the month of July is good news.
New garbage bins have been installed next to the temporary bus stops on the Armstrong Ave detour. No excuses, people! Thanks to Councillor Leadman’s office for arranging these.
Phase 1 Update:
- The bollards have had light reflectors installed on them (don’t know what a bollard is? Scroll down to the April 28th Update for clarification).
- Landscaping on some side streets has begun.
- Bike racks will be installed as soon as the work laying paving stones is complete.
Have a great week, and please remember to support local business by shopping in the construction zone! It's a good thing to do.
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Update: June 19, 2009Posted on: 6/19/2009 3:20:05 PM
People have been asking when Wellington St West will turn back into a 2-way street. Here's the answer: when the construction is finished and not before!
It's been an incredibly busy week on the construction site:
- Up to eight crews have been working daily.
- Calcium and a water 'flush' are being put on the road every Friday afternoon to control the dust for the weekend.
- By mid-week next week heavy excavation will begin from Parkdale to Rosemount.
For history buffs out there, loads of old streetcar tracks have been taken out of the roadway as the watermain is being dug out. If you take a look at the sides of the excavation, you can see evidence of the old ties. And if you want to know what it was like to ride on that streetcar as a kid, ask City Inspector Don Lamirand who is working on Phase 2 now.
Local businesses have found this week to be extremely challenging because of all the extra crews, materials and heavy equipment on Wellington St West. Did you see that drill bit the size of a truck? It's like a Construction Theme Park. Don't forget to stop by and tell merchants you still love them. Have a meal out too.
Thanks for shopping in our construction zone!
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Update: June 12, 2009Posted on: 6/12/2009 6:02:13 PM It seems the weather has turned and we’re finally out of the “June-uary” cold and wet weather we experienced lately. While the sun is appreciated, this does translate to more dust in the construction zone.
This afternoon, the contactor put down a layer of calcium to reduce dust (the calcium creates a crust on the road surface) to help make things easier for our local merchants and residents this weekend.
We also asked on our weekly walk-through of the job site that the contractor condense some of the materials’ piles so that more on-street parking can be made available. Thanks guys! It’s encouraging to see lots of parking spots ready and waiting.
So, here’s hoping we have a great weekend! This is Week 7 of the construction project and so far, it’s been very tough on local businesses. These smaller businesses rely on foot and drive-by traffic so we really do appreciate it when people make an effort to keep visiting shops and restaurants.
And now to the details for those of you following the project:
Contractor’s Update:
- There are now 7 crews on the street - 4 with Greenbelt, 3 with Bell (Greely).
- Supplies are being brought in on demand.
- Bell is working on 2 manholes North side near Parkdale.
- Sewer work heading to Rosemount should finish in 1 week.
- Water main work has pasted Merton heading towards Garland.
- Hoping roadwork (ie. excavation) will commence the 3rd week of June.
- Pinhey manhole is awaiting specs - will be a work in progress for one month.
And finally, a note about Phase 1 (last summer’s road reconstruction from Parkdale west to Western Ave.): the bike racks are coming! Please be patient. The last of the sidewalk paving stones need to be installed before they can put in the racks. A large machine will arrive one day with 140 new racks and they be installed en masse. Can you believe that number?! It will be great to have so many bike racks in Wellington West.
Thank you for shopping local and supporting merchants in the construction zone!
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Update: May 15, 2009Posted on: 5/15/2009 11:46:06 AM Construction Update:
The general contractor (Greenbelt) discovered some good news this week. The sewers from Parkdale Ave east to Rosemount are in good condition and will not need to be replaced. On this stretch, crews will be concentrating on replacing the water main located on the north side of Wellington St W.
They have also found less rock than expected so far. While Bell crews hit rockbed and had to do some blasting earlier in the week, Greenbelt’s four crews are moving well through the area.
You’ll notice building materials such as pipe, sand, etc. stashed on the main street. Greenbelt has been delivering a full week’s supply of materials at the beginning of the week to reduce the amount of deliveries and to keep only what’s needed on hand. They will try to rotate the areas where materials are kept so customers still have good access to shops and businesses.
Something else you’ve probably noticed too, is the way the machinery is left on the street at the end of the day in front of excavated holes. (Construction is finished by 5:30pm daily.) When the contractor cannot fill the hole for whatever reason, the area is fenced and one of the 'mega' backhoes is perched close to the edge to block cars or pedestrians from accidentally falling in.
We notice the big hole and backhoe in front of Elmdale House Tavern this long weekend and hope that it doesn’t prevent people from coming and enjoying the great live music! Here is this week's line-up -- check it out.
- Friday May 15 - 9:00 PM ($5 cover) The Chislers, CD RELEASE PARTY with opener Three Times Lucky
- Saturday May 16 - 9:00 PM ($8 cover) Jack Pelletier and The Battle of Ontario & The Soiree
- Wednesday May 20 - 6:00 - 8:00 PM (no cover) Songwriter Roundabout. At 8:00 PM, Classic Country n’ Western Wednesdays with Lefty McRighty
- Thursday May 21 - 8:30 PM ($5 cover) East of Gatineau
- Friday May 22 - 9:00 PM - ($5 cover) Cr4ve
Please remember to support your local businesses throughout the construction season!
And remember too that there are tons of on-street angled parking spots along Wellington St West... more than usual and more than we’ll end up with. Please come and take advantage of the free parking! Thanks.
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Update: May 8, 2009Posted on: 5/8/2009 5:06:05 PM Phase 1: (Parkdale west to Western Ave - Apr 2008 - present)
The street trees have arrived! Hydro Ottawa is switching over lines so the old poles can be removed (work to be finished by mid-June at the latest) and the new street lamps can be hooked up. Temporary asphalt at street corners is being replaced by new paving stones. Things are looking good!
Phase 2: (Parkdale east to Bayview - Apr 2009 - present)
Yes, it's happening... full-on construction all on schedule.
Please see below for details:
Contractor's Update:
1st crew is heading East and the temporary water services and water capping is almost complete.
2nd crew is working at Pinhey (approx 2 weeks) on sewer work and then will be moving to Merton on the south side of Wellington.
3rd crew is working on the storm sewer at Parkdale and then will start water services in that area.
Bell crew is heading west and has been progressing well.
Eastbound left turn at Garland intersection has been restored.
Safety concerns:
1. Bicycle traffic - will be monitored.
2. Speeding on side streets and driving against the one-way streets including Wellington: Ottawa Police Services have been notified and there will be increased police presence and radar boards installed to improve safety.
Please remember to support your local merchants throughout the construction season!
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Update: April 28, 2009Posted on: 5/1/2009 11:49:04 AM What are those chess pieces on the street?
- Those are called BOLLARDS and they are there to keep traffic off the sidewalk by showing the location of the new sidewalk bulb-outs.
What are bulb-outs?
- Bulb-outs are traffic-calming measures that narrow the roadway. A nice result of the bulb-outs are wider pedestrian sidewalks and extra space for benches and trees on Wellington St West.
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
April 28, 2009
Contractors' Update:
- Detour on Wellington St W (one lane eastbound, with angled parking where possible) went into place successfully on Monday.
- Westbound traffic is traveling from Garland to Parkdale along Armstrong.
- Greenbelt crews are working on the south side of Wellington St W, connecting temporary water services. They will start capping, approximately 1 week from now.
- Upcoming work: There is some work that will be done in the Parkdale intersection, and sewer work at Merton.
- The west section of the project will be done first. Once they have completed an area, Bell Canada crews will follow behind them.
- Greenbelt has 1 crew on temporary water and 1 crew on sewers, Bell also has 1 crew onsite (East section).
- Merton is the midpoint in the project and requires sewer work at the intersection -- possibly 2-3 days work.
PLEASE NOTE: Work will commence Mon 4 May 2009 at the Pinhey intersection. This requires approximately 2 weeks of work.
Pihney will become 2-way street at this time.
Bell crews are working in the East section of the project and will be heading towards Merton.
END.
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Wellington St W Road Reconstructon Project Posted on: 4/27/2009 12:39:08 PM Project Phases
Phase 1: Wellington Street West from Western Avenue to Parkdale Avenue (completed 2008)
Phase 2: Wellington Street West from Parkdale Avenue to Bayswater
Avenue, together with Pinhey Street from Wellington Street to Armstrong
Street, and also including improvements to Parkdale Avenue along the
Parkdale Market (Summer 2009)
Phase 3: Somerset Street West from Wellington Street West to Champagne Avenue North (Summer 2010) |
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With the good weather comes... construction crews once again to Wellington St W! Posted on: 4/27/2009 12:23:32 PM As of this morning, Wellington St West -- from Parkdale east to Garland
Ave -- has been turned into a one-way street, heading eastbound towards
downtown Ottawa.
Traffic is flowing smoothly through the
construction zone as delivery trucks are using the closed lane for
unloading. Angled parking will be available soon. Construction crews
and equipment have started to mobilize, especially at the Garland
intersection.
To travel westbound, the detour route is along
Armstrong Ave. Armstrong is one street north of Wellington, running
parallel to it. Armstrong will remain 2-way with OCTranspo buses
running along it; there will be no parking along Armstrong. You can
still access parking lots behind shops from Armstrong.
The
contractor for the project is Greenbelt, who is very familiar with our
area as the contractor of Phase 1, last summer's road reconstruction.
We're happy to see them back as they did a great job last year in the
Parkdale west to Western Ave stretch.
Sub-contractor
Meyknecht-Lischer is also back at work finishing the paving stone work,
bollards, and other finishing details left over from Phase 1. This work
should be completed in 8-10 weeks and will be contained to specific
blocks only. The traffic continues to be 2-way with free parking
available along Wellington.
For the detour map and more info, please link to the City of Ottawa's website:
www.ottawa.ca/residents/major_projects/const_detours/index_en
Just
a reminder that we did it last year and we can do it again! Thank you for
your continued support of our shops and businesses in Wellington West.
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