Scott Street Sewer and Watermain Rehabilitation Project

The WVCA would like to inform our readers and the community that we have received the following information from the City of Ottawa about construction, and a subsequent temporary road closure, on Scott Street, scheduled to begin in Spring 2020. 

Please note the highlighted section in the 4th paragraph that mentions how LRT staff have requested the widening of Scott Street from the south side. It goes without saying that this will negatively impact a large number of residents and is of great concern to the WVCA. We are committed to doing what we can to stop the City from moving ahead with these plans. We want to hear from you. Please send your thoughts and concerns to: president@wvca.ca

"As you may be aware, LRT Phase II is proposing to detour Transitway busses to Scott Street, from Tunney’s Pasture to Churchill Avenue, beginning as early as late-2021.  LRT will begin intersection modifications in 2021 along Scott Street to accommodate the detour.  The City’s Asset Management Branch reviewed the infrastructure beneath Scott Street within these limits, and identified a number of ageing sewer pipes and watermains that were in poor condition. The purpose of the Scott Street Sewer and Watermain Rehabilitation project is to replace the infrastructure that is in poor condition prior to detouring the Transitway busses onto Scott Street.

The Scott Street Sewer and Watermain Rehabilitation project involves the replacement of existing local sanitary sewer and watermain along Scott Street, from Island Park Drive to Ross Avenue, as well as the installation of a deep storm sewer crossing Scott Street, just east of Island Park Drive.  Localized sewer spot repairs at various locations along Scott Street will also be completed, including replacing the local sanitary sewer from Clifton Road to McRae Avenue. The current project schedule is for construction to begin in Spring 2020, with completion in late-Fall 2020, in order for LRT’s Contractor to begin their roadway and intersection modifications to Scott beginning in early 2021.  A Public Information Session is being planned for late-January or early-February 2020 for residents to review the project design, and to ask questions to City Infrastructure Services and LRT Staff. 

In order to safely allow the work to proceed as part of this project, the City’s Traffic Management group has approved a temporary road closure of eastbound Scott Street, between Island Park and Ross Avenue.  The City preferred the westbound direction be maintained throughout the corridor for the duration of the closures.  The proposed construction is not expected to significantly affect the existing Multi-Use-Pathway (MUP) adjacent to the Transitway.  In fact, it is expected that the existing MUP will be widened to improve active travel operations for cyclists and pedestrians throughout the duration of the construction projects.

Regarding the reinstatement of Scott Street following the construction, the original proposal was to reinstate the roadway to existing conditions and lane configurations.  During the design period, staff from LRT requested that our design consultants complete design for additional roadway widening on the south side of Scott Street within our project limits.  The roadway widening would permit a 4-lane cross section to be used along Scott Street during the future LRT Phase II Transitway detour, in an effort to improve and transit service reliability during the detour.  We are still in early stages of this design, but additional information should be available over the next few months."