Editor’s note: OC Transpo said over the weekend it approved a request from RTG to extend closures on the LRT line until the end of the week to expedite required maintenance work. A date has not yet been given for when the Confederation Line will reopen for service.
Just as Ottawa transit riders adjust to new requirements for masks on buses and light rail, sections of the city’s LRT line are preparing to go dark over the days ahead.
OC Transpo says the Confederation Line LRT will fully close on Sunday, June 21 with replacement bus service along the line.
Over the days following that, from Monday to Wednesday, the section of the line from Tunney’s Pasture to Lees Station will be closed, with the rest of the system operating as usual.
There have already been two shutdown periods along the LRT line this spring, with the local transit agency saying it plans additional closures throughout the summer to give Rideau Transit Maintenance the chance to take advantage of the reduced ridership numbers during the novel coronavirus pandemic to conduct much-needed work on the troubled line.
Monday marked the beginning of mandatory masks for customers in transit stations, on buses and on LRT.
OC Transpo has been operating most routes on reduced frequencies for the past few months of the pandemic, but transit service will increase with a shift to a summer service schedule on June 27.
Service similar to pre-pandemic levels is expected to return on Aug. 30.
John Manconi, the head of OC Transpo, has said he’s given the LRT maintenance group until the end of August to bring the transit line up to reliable service levels.