Hamilton to Close Main and Ottawa Intersection for Four Months Starting Aug. 17

Hamilton will completely close the intersection of Main Street East and Ottawa Street North on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, starting approximately four months of disruption for drivers, HSR passengers, residents and nearby businesses.

No vehicles will be allowed through the intersection in any direction. The shutdown will affect east-west traffic on Main Street and north-south traffic on Ottawa Street.

Crews will install a large watermain and sewer, relocate Bell and Alectra utilities, reconstruct the road and complete resurfacing. The work will renew aging infrastructure and prepare the corridor for future Hamilton LRT construction.

Preparatory work began July 7 while the intersection remained open. The reopening date will depend on weather, construction progress and logistics, meaning the intersection could remain closed into December.

Main and Ottawa traffic detours

Westbound Main Street traffic will be directed north onto Kenilworth Avenue and west along Cannon Street toward Gage Avenue.

Eastbound drivers can use King Street through the Delta, where Main and King meet. Gage Avenue can also be used to reach Cannon Street and continue east toward Kenilworth Avenue.

King Street, Cannon Street, Gage Avenue and Kenilworth Avenue are likely to carry additional traffic. Drivers should allow extra time, follow posted detours and reduce their speed around workers and temporary barriers.

Motorists leaving vehicles on surrounding streets should also be aware of Hamilton’s parking fine and Sunday enforcement changes.

Routes 1 and 1A King changes

Eastbound Routes 1 and 1A buses will remain on King Street at the Delta before using Ottawa Street South, Maple Avenue and Edgemont Street to return to Main Street.

Eastbound stops at Main and King, Main and Balmoral, and Main and Ottawa will close temporarily. Replacement stops will be available near the Delta, on King at Rosslyn and Grosvenor, and on Maple at Ottawa.

Westbound buses will use Edgemont Street North, Dunsmure Road and King Street. Stops at Main and Ottawa, Main and Balmoral, Main and Kensington, and King and Belview will be unavailable.

Replacement westbound stops are planned at 28 Edgemont Street North and on Dunsmure at Ottawa and Belmont.

Route 10 B-Line detour

Eastbound Route 10 buses will leave Main Street at Gage Avenue before using Cannon Street and Kenilworth Avenue to return to Main.

Westbound buses will turn north onto Kenilworth, travel west on Cannon and turn south on Gage before returning to Main Street.

Stops at Main and Ottawa, Main and Kenilworth, Main and Kensington, and Main and King at the Delta will be affected depending on the direction of travel. Passengers can use replacement stops at Gage and King, Cannon and Ottawa, and Kenilworth and Main.

Route 41 Mohawk via Ottawa changes

Northbound Route 41 buses will remain on King Street, turn onto Gage Avenue and Cannon Street, and then return to Ottawa Street. Stops on Ottawa at Maple, Main, Dunsmure and Cannon will close.

Alternative northbound stops will be available along King Street at Maple, Belview, East Bend and Gage, as well as Cannon Street at East Bend, Belmont, Balmoral and Ottawa.

Southbound buses will use Cannon Street, Gage Avenue and Main Street before continuing through the Delta onto King. Stops on Ottawa at Cannon, Roxborough and Main will be unavailable.

Southbound passengers can use stops along Cannon at Rosslyn, Belview and East Bend; Gage at King and Main; and Main near East Bend and Glendale.

The HSR detours are currently scheduled from Aug. 15 through Dec. 7, subject to construction progress. Passengers should allow extra time because buses will share roads carrying heavier traffic. Ontario travellers facing other scheduled disruptions can also review the separate GO Transit rail shutdown and replacement-bus information.

Access for residents and businesses

Residents can continue accessing side streets east and west of Ottawa Street and north and south of Main Street. However, those streets cannot be used to drive through the intersection.

Nearby businesses are not being closed by the project, although parking, deliveries and customer access may change. Pedestrian access will remain available, with temporary walkways or crossing changes possible around active work.

Emergency services and residential waste collection are expected to continue normally.

Connection to the Hamilton LRT

The infrastructure work will help prepare the area for Hamilton’s planned 14-kilometre LRT between McMaster University and Eastgate Square. The future line is expected to serve downtown, Hamilton Stadium, Ottawa Street and Gage Park.

This closure covers preparatory municipal and utility work rather than construction of the rail service itself. Replacing underground infrastructure now should reduce conflicts during later LRT construction.

All major road work at the intersection is expected to be finished when it reopens. Minor finishing work may continue without affecting traffic. Travellers should check the City of Hamilton’s official Main and Ottawa updates because detours, stops and dates may change.