Airport Parkway (Ottawa)

Airport Parkway
"Ottawa Road 79"
Juno Beach Memorial Bridge over the Airport Parkway
Route information
Maintained by City of Ottawa
Length	7 km (4.3 mi)
Major junctions
South end	Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport
North end	Continues as Bronson Avenue
Location
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Major cities	Ottawa
Highway system
Roads in Ontario

Airport Parkway (Ottawa Route 79) is a parkway and two-lane expressway in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs from the Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport to an interchange with Heron Road where it turns into Bronson Avenue.^[1][2]

Airport Parkway is a two-lane expressway for most of its length, although since bicycles are permitted, it is not considered a controlled-access highway.^[3] It is home to one of Ontario's only two single-point urban interchanges at its Hunt Club Road exit. The speed limit is 80 km/h (50 mph) for its entire length.

Airport Parkway begins after leaving the airport, where it immediately interchanges with Lester Road. The Parkway turns northwards and traverses through some forest before encountering Hunt Club Road, which it interchanges it with an SPUI, one of only a handful in Canada. After that, the Parkway passes under a pedestrian overpass and runs parallel to the Transitway. The Parkway then meets Walkley Road with a partial interchange. After that, it is flanked by residential neighbourhoods before interchanging with Brookfield Road, and the Parkway ends shortly after as it interchanges with Heron Road. The Parkway continues as Bronson Avenue and loses its expressway status. ^[4]

Until 1997, Airport Parkway was maintained by the federal government of Canada under the jurisdiction of the National Capital Commission.

The Juno Beach Memorial Bridge is a footbridge spanning the Airport Parkway just north of Hunt Club Road. It is an important link connecting communities west of the Parkway to the South Keys Shopping Centre and the South Keys bus station. Construction of the Juno Beach Memorial Bridge began in June 2011. After multiple delays due to material and design flaws, the bridge opened 3 years behind schedule and $5.5 million over budget in November 2014. It was officially named in November 2019.^[5][6]

The road has had 300 collisions and three fatalities since 2000, making it the focus of future improvements.^[7] There has been some discussing in twinning it to a four-lane expressway or freeway, although those discussions have stalled due to local controversy.^[8]

The following is a list of exits along Airport Parkway. Some exits on Bronson Avenue are also included.

Airport Parkway Exit list
Legend
To Downtown Ottawa Bronson Avenue continues as undivided 4-lane arterial road to Queensway and Downtown Ottawa Queen Elizabeth Driveway overpass Becomes six-lane expressway Rideau Canal bridge 8 Colonel By Drive, Bronson Place Campus Avenue/Sunnyside Avenue to Carleton University At-grade signalized intersection Brewer Way, to Brewer Park At-grade signalized intersection G. Dunbar Bridge over Rideau River Becomes Bronson Avenue NB; Becomes Airport Parkway SB 7B Riverside Drive, Ottawa Route 19 From NB, use Heron Road off-ramp to access Riverside Drive; Becomes four-lane expressway 7A Heron Road, Ottawa Route 16 Exits only, no entrances; NB ramp also provides access to Riverside Drive; No NB to EB access O-Train Trillium Line overpass 6 Brookfield Road, Ottawa Route 51 Becomes two-lane expressway Railway underpass 5 Walkley Road, Ottawa Route 74 NB exit and SB entrance only Railway underpass 3 Hunt Club Road, Ottawa Route 32 1 Alert Road, Lester Road, Uplands Drive Taxiway underpass Becomes four-lane divided road Air Cargo Pvt/Airbus Pvt At-grade signalized intersection Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport Exit numbers are approximate kilometre posts; exits on the Airport Parkway aren't numbered.