Trillium Line shuts down for next 2 years

The Trillium Line O-Train is expected to be offline for the next two years asconstruction begins Sunday on a $1.6-billion, 16-kilometre extension.

Saturday was the last day of service on the north-south rail corridor, whichruns from Greenboro to Bayview stations and through Carleton University.

• Everything you wanted to know about the Trillium Line extension, but were too confused to ask

Riders who normally travel along the line can now takereplacement busesfrom any station along the line. Buses will run approximatelyevery 12 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays, OC Transpo said, and every 15 minutes on Sundays.

The projectwill seethe five-station Trillium Line extended to Limebank Road in Riverside South, with a new link to the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport.

Eight new stations will be built, and existing stations will beexpanded to accommodate longer trains that cancarry more riders.

Confederation Line disrupted too

In other public transit news, the Confederation Line is closed this weekend for repairs, and it will also be shut downfrom Saturday, May 9 until Wednesday, May 13.

The City of Ottawa and Rideau Transit Group (RTG) are using the opportunity provided by low ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic to do maintenance and repairs, a city memo said.

• OC Transpo scales back service as ridership plummets during pandemic

R1 replacement bus service will run throughout the entire line while it is closed.

Road closures as well

Public Services and Procurement Canadaannounced on Friday that theAlexandra Bridge will also be closed to traffic until further notice.

In a statement, the ministry said the closure, effective Friday, is for inspection and repair work. Pedestrians and cyclists, however, will be able to continue using the boardwalkon the west side of the bridge.

Hogs Back Road will close to motorists between Prince of Wales and Riverside drives on Monday, May 4, until August. It will also be closed between Colonel By and Riverside drives until December for bridge repairs.

Access for cyclists and pedestrians will be maintained.

The Queen Elizabeth Driveway, meanwhile, remains closed daily to motorists between Laurier and Fifth avenues as part of a pilot project run by the National Capital Commission.

Information about other road closures and lane reductions can be found on theCity of Ottawa website.