Ottawa Weighs Carling Underpass Expansion

Ottawa Weighs $80M Carling Underpass Expansion to Link New Civic Campus to Transit

Ottawa city councillors are set to review a major infrastructure proposal that could reshape transit access to the future Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus. The plan, valued at $80 million, would widen the Carling Avenue underpass to create a safer and more direct connection between Dow’s Lake Station and the hospital site expected to open in 2028.

The proposal will be debated at the public works and infrastructure committee meeting on April 23, where city staff are recommending approval of both the long-term underpass solution and temporary transit measures.

City Explores Better Transit Access to Future Civic Campus

A staff report prepared for councillors explains that Ottawa has been studying ways to improve access from Line 2 O-Train service to the new hospital campus on the south side of Carling Avenue.

Earlier analysis considered two main options: a pedestrian bridge over Carling Avenue and a tunnel under the road. Although the bridge was originally seen as the cheaper choice, feedback from the public strongly favoured the tunnel option. Many respondents described the tunnel as more direct, easier to use, and better suited for a seamless connection between transit and the hospital.

However, the underground option initially raised concerns for city staff because of its construction complexity and the risks tied to underground infrastructure.

Widening the Carling Avenue Bridge Now Seen as a Long-Term Solution

The city then explored another option after discussions with The Ottawa Hospital. Instead of building a separate crossing, staff examined the possibility of replacing the aging Carling Avenue Bridge with a wider structure that would allow for a larger underpass beneath it.

Officials say the current bridge, built in 1965, has an estimated remaining service life of only 15 to 20 years. Because the structure will eventually need to be replaced, staff believe this creates an opportunity to combine bridge replacement with a new pedestrian and transit-friendly underpass project.

According to the report, this coordinated design would allow the underpass to be built at a size that supports future pedestrian volumes while meeting today’s safety and design standards next to an active rail corridor.

Project Would Extend Dow’s Lake Station Under Carling Avenue

Under the proposed design, the Dow’s Lake Station platform would be extended southward beneath Carling Avenue. The wider bridge would also support future transportation upgrades, including a possible second Line 2 track and an additional platform in the area.

Another benefit highlighted by staff is that the plan would remove the need for a headhouse on the north side of Carling Avenue, which had previously raised concerns among nearby developers.

City officials say the underpass design would give hospital visitors, staff, and patients a more natural and visible connection from the O-Train platform directly toward the hospital campus. Compared with the earlier bridge and tunnel concepts, this approach is being presented as the most intuitive and user-friendly transit link.

Transit Link Seen as Key to Reducing Traffic Pressure

Local officials say the success of the hospital project will depend heavily on making transit easy and attractive to use.

Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper said there are growing concerns among nearby residents about future traffic congestion, parking shortages, and unsafe driving behaviour once the hospital opens. He argued that the most effective way to reduce those pressures is to encourage more people to use public transit instead of driving.

Leiper said any transit connection must be safe, comfortable, and well protected if the city wants users to rely on it. He added that the earlier bridge option would likely have required too many elevators and may not have been practical enough to attract regular use, making an underground connection the stronger alternative.

Community Group Warns Against Delays in Building a Proper Connection

The Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association also stressed the importance of having a fully accessible and effective transit connection ready when the hospital opens.

The group warned that if a proper link is not available on opening day, many users may form long-term driving habits and may be less willing to switch to transit later, even after improvements are completed. That concern adds pressure on the city to ensure the new campus opens with a reliable transit-friendly connection already in place.

$80 Million Price Tag Raises Funding Questions

Despite support for the underpass option, the proposal comes with a significant cost. Staff estimate the full project would require $80 million in funding, making it one of the more expensive transit-access upgrades under discussion.

If funding is not available in the near term, the city is also considering interim measures to help connect riders to the future hospital campus.

Leiper said the project should be viewed as a long-term investment not only in hospital access, but in the broader growth of the surrounding neighbourhood. He noted that future development in the area is expected to include research towers, commercial buildings, and residential projects, making strong transit connections essential for more than just hospital traffic.

Shuttle Bus Could Serve as Temporary Transit Solution

One temporary option under review is a minibus shuttle service between Dow’s Lake Station and the hospital campus. Staff say such a shuttle would provide a fast, accessible, and weather-protected connection for transit users at no cost to riders.

The city estimates this interim service would require around $1.5 million in funding to purchase the minibuses, in addition to ongoing operating costs. The shuttle would only remain in place until the permanent underpass solution is completed.

Another temporary option would add weather protection at the existing Carling Avenue crossing near Dow’s Lake Station, at an estimated cost of $1 million.

Additional Active Transportation Upgrade Also Proposed

The report also outlines a separate $2.6 million active transportation plan to widen the multi-use pathway over the O-Train tracks on the south side of Carling Avenue. This would involve installing a six-metre-wide bridge for pedestrians and cyclists.

However, staff say this active transportation bridge would only move forward if the larger Carling Avenue bridge replacement and underpass project is approved and implemented in the longer term.

Cost Comparison Shows Underpass More Competitive Over Time

For comparison, the city’s earlier bridge proposal had an estimated cost of $54 million, while the separate tunnel option was projected at $82 million. Staff noted, however, that those earlier cost estimates did not include the future expense of replacing the aging Carling Avenue Bridge.

That makes the widened underpass option more attractive from a long-term planning perspective, since it combines necessary bridge replacement with improved transit access in one coordinated project.

No Timeline Yet as 2028 Hospital Opening Approaches

At this stage, the committee report does not provide a projected timeline for construction. That leaves uncertainty about whether the permanent underpass could be completed before the new Civic Campus opens in 2028.

Still, city staff are recommending that councillors support both the underpass concept and the interim measures so that planning can continue and transit access to the hospital can be improved over time.

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