Ready for more roadwork, London? 2025 looks busy

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Another year of London road construction is in the books, but that doesn’t mean work in our fast-growing city will slow down any time soon. Reporter Jack Moulton takes a look at what new or continuing projects Londoners will encounter in the new year.

WHAT’S STARTING IN 2025?

London is full steam ahead for construction projects in the new year, though it is largely being driven by continuing projects rather than new ones, the city says.

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The east and south bus rapid transit (BRT) legs will continue to be built out in 2025, with only two new components getting started.

Beginning next month, work will begin to widen the rail overpass on Highbury Avenue north of Dundas Street to accommodate new bus lanes. Just up the road, construction of the last leg of the East London Link on Oxford Street East and at Fanshawe College also will begin.

For London’s commuters, the four-lane Bradley Avenue extension between White Oaks and Wharncliffe roads will begin, as will a rehabilitation of the Adelaide Street North bridge over the north branch of the Thames River, and a rejig of the Richmond Street and Sunningdale Road intersection.

WHAT’S CONTINUING NEXT YEAR?

The flurry of BRT construction beginning this past year, causing traffic headaches for commuters, will continue into next year.

On the East Link, construction will wrap through the winter on Dundas Street between Egerton and Eleanor streets, and work will conclude on Highbury between Oxford and the rail overpass.

Over on the Wellington Gateway, work will continue through the winter on the widening of Wellington Road, including Clark’s bridge down to Watson Street, and Wilkins Street to Harlech Gate. Widening of Wellington between Harlech and Greenfield Drive will pick back up in the spring, with all projects lasting through 2025.

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Also continuing through the winter are upgrades to Colonel Talbot Road between Southdale Road West and James Street, while sewer work on York Street, and work on the roundabout for Oxford Street West and Gideon Drive, will resume in the spring.

A LOOK BACK AT 2024

Though traffic pains will continue in some parts of the city, some long-standing bottlenecks are now behind us, including all four lanes of the new Adelaide Street underpass, the new Victoria bridge, and the overhaul of the Richmond Street and Fanshawe Park Road intersection.

The first full component of London’s BRT network, the downtown loop, is also complete and has had its bus-only traffic signals activated, letting buses complete turns from their dedicated lanes.

Also complete on the BRT network: King Street between Lyle and Ontario streets and Dundas between Ontario and Egerton streets in the east, and Wellington between Horton Street and the Thames River in the south.

CAN I HAVE A SAY?

Next year’s projects are already set, but Londoners can weigh in with their transportation demands for the next 25 years.

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Starting next month, city staff will host several public meetings to gather feedback on the proposed networks of the new transportation master plan:

• Jan. 8 at South London community centre, drop in from 6-8 p.m.
• Jan. 9 at East Lions community centre, drop in from 6-8 p.m.
• Jan. 15 at Northbrae elementary school, drop in from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
• Jan. 16 at Cherryhill Village Mall, drop in from 6-8 p.m.

The draft networks will be presented to city councillors in the spring, with the full plan following later in the summer.

jmoulton@postmedia.com

@JackAtLFPress

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