City of London launching major stormwater infrastructure construction
Ontario Construction News staff writer
Several stormwater management infrastructure projects set to start construction this summer are designed to address severe weather, flooding, and the impacts of climate change in the City of London.
“Significant rain events like what London experienced this month demonstrate how important it is that our city continues to invest in stormwater infrastructure,” said Mayor Josh Morgan. “Making ongoing improvements will help us stay ready for severe weather and will help London continue to adapt to climate change.”
Underground, 12.5 kilometres of sanitary and storm sewers are being replaced or added across projects throughout the city, and more than 3 kilometres of watermain are being relined in 2024.
“Strong and reliable stormwater infrastructure supports our rapidly growing city,” says Ashley Rammeloo, Director, Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater. “Planning and constructing for the future helps our city accommodate more homes and development, while increasing our capacity for storms and flooding events.”
Crews have begun site preparations for construction of the planned Harris Park shoreline restoration project which will remove the old and deteriorated stone gabion baskets that supported the shore from erosion in the past, and they will be replaced with naturalized infrastructure which will continue to protect the shoreline into the future. New park features will also be added including a new lookout point along the path, improved river access for paddlers, additional trees, and ecological improvements to support the riverbank and aquatic habitats.
Also this year, work will focus on decommissioning the temporary Matthews Hall Stormwater Management Pond and retrofitting the stormwater management facility on the north side of the CP Rail line east of Hyde Park Road with construction of a new large storm trunk sewer, additional erosion and flood storage control and a new storm culvert under the nearby CP Rail line.
Construction is expected to continue until late fall 2024.
Construction will also start this month at Springbank Park where crews will be decommissioning a dam and removing the gates. The concrete structure of the dam will stay in place, while the mechanical components, control building, and the steel gates are being removed this summer. 175 metres of concrete bank along the river will also be removed and restored with a naturalized shoreline along with tree plantings and habitat improvements.
Construction will be completed by December.
The next phase of Mud Creek project began earlier this summer and is constructing a new wider culvert underneath Oxford Street West near Proudfoot Lane to help prevent future flooding during severe weather events.
In the coming weeks, crews will begin to widen and deepen sections of Mud Creek between Oxford Street West and the CP Rail line to the south. The area will be replanted with native trees and plants, and a new path will be added along the creek for residents. Construction is expected to be complete by fall 2025.
Work is preparing to construct earth berms and walls around the perimeter of Greenway and Adelaide Wastewater Treatment Plants later this year. The improvements will protect these critical facilities from flooding along the river and help keep them operational during a significant flooding event.
Site preparations are continuing around these two facilities and construction is anticipated to begin this fall.