Riverside Drive (Ottawa)

Riverside Drive (Ottawa Road #19) is a major road in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, that follows along the eastern bank of the Rideau River. Its northern terminus is at the Transitway/Via Rail underpass just south of the Queensway, and the road proceeds south to Limebank Road where it continues as River Road until the city limits. North of the Queensway, Riverside continues as Vanier Parkway, which travels through Vanier until Beechwood Avenue.[1] The Vanier Parkway name is linked to the neighbourhood of Vanier, which was named for former Governor General of Canada Georges Vanier.

Riverside Drive looking south from Mooney's Bay

Most of the road is a four-lane divided principal arterial, with a speed limit of 60 km/h (37 mph), although the general flow is faster in many sections.

Riverside is home to the Riverside Hospital, the Billings Bridge Plaza, the RA Centre, Canada Post headquarters, Public Works Canada headquarters, Canadian Labour Congress headquarters, Vincent Massey Park, Terry Fox Athletic Facility, and Mooney's Bay Park.

Riverside originally began at Montreal Road, but the area between Montreal Road and Hurdman's Bridge was renamed River Road (now River Road North) in 1960.[2] Riverside was re-aligned between Smyth Road and Industrial Avenue in 1986. Riverside once ended at Industrial, while it was Alta Vista Drive that carried traffic across the Queensway to become the Vanier Parkway. The old alignment of Riverside Drive in Riverview continued to be known as Riverside Drive, serving a number of apartment building complexes, and has a cul-de-sac at each end. It would later be bifurcated by the Hospital Link Road, and its northern section was renamed Lycée Place, and its southern section renamed Frobisher Lane.[3]