A $52.23 million road-widening project along Carp Road in Stittsville is threatening the survival of local small businesses as preliminary utility work begins ahead of major construction this fall.
The City of Ottawa initiative aims to expand a two-kilometer stretch of Carp Road from two to four lanes between Highway 417 and Hazeldean Road.
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The project will also add new sidewalks and bicycle tracks on both sides of the roadway.
Business Owners Voice Concerns
Craig Beaudry and Monique Haugen, owners of the Wiches Cauldron Sandwich Shoppe, expressed deep concern that their brick-and-mortar enterprise will not survive the projected five-year construction timeline due to lane closures and reduced accessibility.
"We understand that it is absolutely crucial and beneficial for the neighbourhood and for the community going ahead.
But in the interim, it is probably going to put us under," said Beaudry, co-owner of Wiches Cauldron Sandwich Shoppe.
The shop will lose 26 feet of its front patio because the city is acquiring a few meters of property on both sides of the road for the widening.
Beaudry noted that the ongoing utility work by Bell Media is already creating detours and traffic delays.
"We will not last this next year and a half, let alone five years," Beaudry said.
The construction is expected to restrict vehicular access significantly, making it difficult for customers to navigate the area.
Beaudry noted that the planned single-lane operations would severely impact his parking lot availability.
