A section of the 417 was closed this weekend as the Booth Street Bridge was removed and replaced with a new version. There was a viewing area on Booth Street where people could watch the progress of the rebuilding. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

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It may not have been everyone’s reaction to the construction feat that required a nearly four-day shutdown of the Queensway, but for some Ottawans, there’s no entertainment like the complete replacement of a massive freeway bridge.

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“It’s not like every day you see an overpass come out and … a new one (put) there,” said 10-year-old Jenson, whose mom preferred not to give a last name. Unfortunately, he and everyone else who stopped by the site Saturday afternoon had missed the most dramatic part of the spectacle – the demolition of the old bridge and the insertion of the new one, moved from a staging area by self-propelled articulated haulers. Still, “cool” is how Jenson described it. For May’s mom, the appeal is “really seeing people being so small in the universe but able to create, like, big things. That’s the amazing thing, it amazes me.” It wasn’t Bob Birnbaum’s first taste of construction entertainment. He had a daily view of the construction of an apartment building opposite his own. “And that’s exciting,” he said. “It started with watching them build the crane, which – I’ve never seen a crane built. And just to watch them build the crane with another crane, and then the guys go out there… It was really something. It was a lot of fun.”

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A retired doctor, he had stopped his Saturday afternoon bike ride at a public viewing area set up for the bridge interchange. “I was told when I sat my aptitude test not to go anywhere near engineering. That’s why I find it fascinating. I have no idea what they’re doing.” Dan Joly watches the work being done to replace the Booth St. bridge. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia Painting contractor Dan Jolly stopped by on his way home from work, hoping to see the installation of the bridge he watched being built in the nearby staging area. He’s always been a fan of big machines and “I’m in awe of how they can do it so fast and have it stable in time for release,” he said. “I’m really sorry I missed the move though, holy crap.” There’s something quite riveting about the freeway bridge that for previous projects, the MTO created grandstands. In addition to the designated public viewing area just north of the bridge on Booth Street, a live stream of the weekend’s work was also available online.

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We apologize, but this video failed to load. For those who didn’t get a chance to see the action – or those eagerly awaiting its completion – note that it’s the first in a series of 417 rigid freeway bridge replacements, using the rapid replacement method and full 82-hour freeway closures. Next up is Rochester Street (date TBD, according to the project website), followed by bridges at Percy Street and Bronson Avenue next summer – “I won’t miss that,” Joly said – and Preston Street in July 2024 . Closed in both directions between Metcalfe Street and Kirkwood Avenue from 8 p.m. Thursday, the 417 freeway is scheduled to reopen Monday at 6 a.m.

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