Residents in Ottawa’s east end who were promised soundproofing to block construction sounds of the Stage 2 LRT say they want the city to follow through after being told the wall can’t be built.
Construction continues on the multi-billion dollar project to extend the LRT east from Blair Road to Trim Road, west from Tunney’s Pasture to Moodie and Algonquin College, and south from Greenboro to Riverside South and the Ottawa Airport. The eastern extension is expected to be completed by 2024.
In an update for the winter of 2023, the city says solid progress has been made, but construction will continue to affect residents throughout the year.
“Construction activities that can be expected to impact area residents include hours of operation, noise from crews and equipment, traffic diversions, site lighting, and pedestrian and vehicular mobility,” the city said.
“Residents should know that there will continue to be night work on the route throughout 2023. A weekly summary of the night’s work will also be shared at the beginning of each week.”
However, some who live east of Orleans Boulevard received a notice saying the planned sound barrier walls would not be erected in some areas.
“In several areas, sound insulation walls are excluded or not approved based on criteria set by the City of Ottawa’s planning department,” the notice said.
Linda Fournier got the message. She lives right off the highway and was waiting for that extra peace and quiet.
“It’s pretty noisy right now,” she said. “In 2022, they told us they’re going to build a soundproof wall. It sucks because to be honest – we have a small patio here and we really can’t sit here until around midnight in the summer when the traffic is a lot lighter.”
The approximate area where a sound barrier wall would be built on the northeast side of Cholette Crescent. Now the city of Ottawa says the wall can’t be built in that area. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa)
The city says about 4.5km of sound barriers are being built on the south side of the freeway, but a 200m section near Cholette Crescent cannot continue.
“As part of the detailed design phase, major utilities, sewerage and hydroelectricity were identified as conflicting with the proposed noise wall. Due to the conflicts, this small portion of the wall was removed from the scope of the project and area residents were recently informed of this change,” Director of Rail Construction Michael Morgan said in a statement to CTV News.
“There will be minimal, if any, impacts on the sound emitted by future train operations and this change will not add additional noise over the current surrounding traffic in the area.”
Orléans West-Innes Coun. Laura Dudas said she shares the residents’ frustration.
“That sound wall was going to provide a bit of a remedy for what happened in the past, and this project was going to be an opportunity to use that structure to make it happen,” she said.
“Now that people are finding that because of underground and above ground facilities, it’s just not going to be possible, it’s incredibly disappointing for them and I support their concerns that they’ve been promised something that’s not going to be possible.”
Groundwork for the walls on the south side of 174 was completed in 2022, and the city expects to continue work on the soundproof walls between Joan of Arc Boulevard and Orleans Boulevard, Orleans Boulevard and Stoneboat Crescent, and in Terra Nova Estates, east of Tenth Line Road .
STAGE 2 PROGRESS IS BEING MADE
The city says in its winter update that progress has been made on the soundproofing walls on the north side of Highway 174. However, notice has been sent to residents who live south of Highway 174, where work on the walls continues. A notice shared on the Convent Glen – Orléans Wood Community Association Facebook page said the proposed wall near Cholette Crescent could not be completed due to conflicts with underground facilities.
So far, the city says 60 percent of the rail for the eastern extension has been laid, including complete installation in both directions between Blair Station and the planned Jeanne d’Arc Station and from Trim Road to Tenth Line Road. The connection to the Stage 1 LRT station in Blair was completed in October.
The city says work on the five east stations is on schedule and will be completed this year.
“Activities to be carried out at the stations in 2023, in addition to the finishing works within the stations themselves, include the installation of noise walls at the stations, the installation of Traction Substations (TPSS) and the construction of a bus operator building at the Place d’Orléans Station,” the update said.
–With files from CTV’s Peter Szperling.
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