Consider it short-term pain for long-term gain.
Starting Saturday, Adelaide Street North between Central Avenue and just north of McMahen Street will be closed to all vehicular traffic. City officials have said this is to allow for work on the Adelaide Underpass to progress.
During the nine-day closure, crews will be connecting new underground infrastructure through the intersection of Adelaide and Central. Drivers will be detoured to Oxford Street East, Highbury Avenue, and Dundas Street. However, they could be further slowed by other ongoing infrastructure work that has lane reductions on Adelaide between King and York streets and all lanes closed on Central between William and Elizabeth streets.
Cyclists are being asked to pedal over to a neighbouring street as an alternative to Adelaide, while pedestrian access will be maintained during the construction.
As a result of the closure, London Transit will be detouring Route 16. Northbound buses will go Adelaide Street to Princess Avenue, Maitland Street, and Piccadilly Street, and southbound buses will be detoured from Adelaide Street to Piccadilly Street, Maitland Street, and Princess Avenue. There will be temporary new stops placed on Maitland Street at Regina Street and Central Avenue.
The city expects this section of Adelaide Street to remain closed until July 17.
The four-lane Adelaide underpass beneath the CP Rail tracks has been highly anticipated for sometime. It will eliminate the estimated 11 to 30 times each day drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians are blocked by passing trains at the rail crossing. In addition to that, it will provide a reliable route for emergency services and public transit, and reduce cut-through traffic in adjacent neighbourhoods. Construction of it began earlier this year and is expected to take approximately two years to complete with finishing touches on the project to be added by 2025.
In March, city politicians learned the cost of the project had jumped from $58.3 million to $87.6 million.
