Pedestrians, cyclists and motorists who use Scott Street will see traffic disruptions in the coming days as the City of Ottawa prepares to embark on the next stage of its light rail project.

On Jan. 8, crews will begin rehabilitating a "critical sewer line" that runs underneath Scott Street and is more than 100 years old, the city said in a release Thursday.

The work needs to be completed before Jan. 17, when OC Transpo buses will be diverted from the Transitway onto Scott Street to make way for the construction of the Confederation Line, the city said.

Road, pathway reductions

That timeline means that, starting Friday, the multi-use pathway that runs along the north side of Scott Street will be down to one lane at Merton Street.

Then, on Jan. 11 at 5 p.m., Scott Street itself will be reduced to one lane in each direction. There will also be no access to Scott at Garland Street, the city said.

The city says the closures are expected to last one week.

Thousands of buses to be diverted

Thousands of buses are expected to be diverted each day onto Scott and Albert streets once the city shuts down the Transitway between Merton Street and Empress Avenue on Jan. 17 during the construction of the Confederation Line.

The bus diversion plan has been criticized by nearby residents who say the changes will increase noise levels and compromise safety, particularly for cyclists and pedestrians.

The Confederation Line project is expected to be completed by 2018.