Will Stittsville shops survive this road widening project?

Craig Beaudry poses for a photo in front of his restaurant on Carp Road in Stittsville. Photo by Tony Caldwell /POSTMEDIA

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After a few years of operating a food truck, Craig Beaudry and his wife, Monique Haugen, went “all in” when they opened Wiches Cauldron Sandwich Shoppe in 2023.

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From their hearty soups to their rotating sandwich menu, the owners like to “keep regulars on their toes” with their menus.

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Three years in, the shop is now a staple for comfort food in the Stittsville community. It’s not uncommon to see the likes of city councillor Glen Gower or former Ottawa Senators legend Chris Neil and his family enjoying their meals inside.

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But now Beaudry and Haugen are worried about what’s happening right outside their doors — something that could result in their successful brick-and-mortar enterprise closing for good.

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Wiches Cauldron is located immediately along a stretch of Carp Road awaiting a looming road-widening project that could take up to five years to reach completion.

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Businesses along Carp Road. Photo by Tony Caldwell /POSTMEDIA

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Bell Media is currently moving its underground cables to facilitate the first round of construction expected to start this fall.

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The road widening project is projected to cost $52,230,000 as of the 2026 budget process last fall, says Gower, who represents the Stittsville Ward.

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The project is meant to transform a 2-kilometre stretch between Highway 417 and Hazeldean Road from a two-lane to four-lane routes.

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In the first phase, the City of Ottawa will make “modifications” to the intersections on Carp Road and Hazeldean Road.

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Gower says the second phase of the project is the widening of Carp Road itself, between Highway 417 and Hazeldean Road, by two-kilometres.

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Carp Road will expand from two to four lanes of traffic as a result. The road will also have new sidewalks and bike tracks on both sides.

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The end product will be “golden” for small local businesses and residents in the area, according to Beaudry. The community is hopeful the project will appease Carp Road’s all-too-familiar traffic congestion.

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But for Beaudry and Haugen, learning about the project meant coming to terms with the fact that their business may not survive the five-year construction stretch.

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“We understand that it is absolutely crucial and beneficial for the neighbourhood and for the community going ahead. But in the interim, it is probably going to put us under,” Beaudry said.

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“We will not last this next year and a half, let alone five years.”

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Despite currently being in its infancy, local small businesses are seeing very tangible impacts on their properties as a result of the road widening project, he said, adding that it creates detours and delays for those trying to get to the highway.

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“They will be closing one lane individually (during the construction), which will make it essentially impossible to get in (to the Wiches Cauldron parking lot,)” he said.

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“Carp Road is difficult enough to deal with, turning left or turning right … but once it’s closed down to one lane, it’s going to be a nightmare.”