Written by Kristen Frisa
No, pain, no gain, they say, and Londoners are feeling the ache of downtown road closures as construction work continues on many of the busy sections of street.
The latest to be added to the list was a section of Talbot Street between King and York Streets, which was closed on August 13, where water and sewer replacements will render the road unusable to vehicle traffic for the next three months. Pedestrians and cyclists will still have access through the area.
Also under construction are York Street between Talbot Street and Clarence Street, where water and sewer mains are being replaced, and Dundas Street between Richmond and Wellington, where phase two of the Dundas flex street is underway, to be completed come fall.
The current under-surface work at Talbot and York is a multi-phase project to improve the intersection and surrounding roads. The newly announced closure represents the second phase, with future phases yet to be scheduled. AECOM Canada Ltd. is the engineering consultant on the project.
London’s downtown has seen a spate of construction under efforts to revamp the downtown. This includes the flex street and Dundas Place, which will be a mixed-use pedestrian-friendly community within the heart of the downtown. The first phase, between Ridout Street and Richmond Streets opened for use in December of 2018, after nine months of work.
King Street, another of this year’s core construction projects, is now completed and open for use.