The stretch of Bronson Avenue between Somerset Street and Laurier Avenue, the final part of the street's months-long reconstruction project, will reopen Monday morning amid continuing concerns about speed limits on the road.
All four lanes will reopen to traffic with the exception of off-peak lane closures that may continue until December for “minor landscaping and tree plantings,” according to a press release.
Construction continues along Christie and Florence streets, along with Laurier Avenue.
OC Transpo Route 4, which was disrupted during the facelift, will return to its original route on Bronson Avenue Monday morning.
“From what I saw this morning, it looks absolutely beautiful,” says Robert Dekker, vice-president of the Centretown Citizens Community Association.
“Our hope is that any design that has been put into Bronson will slow down the traffic going down the road,” he adds. “That was a major concern.”
Speed limits on Bronson Avenue are a source of disagreement in the community and have been blamed for a series of accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists, including a fatal collision last October.
Community groups and city councilors have moved to reduce speeds at certain intersections along Bronson, where traffic is often faster than existing limits. So far, the city has not budged on the issue.
The Bronson Avenue renewal is a two-year, $30-million component of the Ottawa on the Move Project, which aims to update roads, sewage systems and infrastructure across the city.