London wraps up 2025 construction season with major road, transit and underground projects completed

Ontario Construction News staff writer

The City of London is wrapping up its 2025 construction season following another year of infrastructure work focused largely on underground systems, road improvements and transit corridors.

Much of the work took place below grade, including water, sewer and storm upgrades intended to support growth, extend the life of roadways and reduce future disruptions. City officials say the projects are tied to housing development, transportation safety and long-term servicing capacity.

While many projects required temporary lane closures and street disruptions, the city says the work was necessary to maintain reliability and accommodate future demand.

Projects completed or advanced this year ranged from bridges and roundabouts to sidewalks, cycling facilities and transit infrastructure.

The Adelaide Underpass was completed this year, improving traffic flow and emergency response times while eliminating a rail crossing. The project received the 2025 Municipal Engineers Association Award for engineering innovation and impact.

Several major road and intersection projects also advanced, including work at Fanshawe Park Road and Richmond Street, the Oxford Street and Gideon Drive intersection, and Colonel Talbot Road. The upgrades included safety improvements, active transportation connections and underground servicing.

City-wide construction totals for 2025 include:

• 61 lane-kilometres of road reconstructed
• 11 kilometres of bike lanes added
• 10 kilometres of sidewalks constructed
• 25 intersections upgraded
• More than 11 kilometres of storm and sanitary sewers installed
• More than 9 kilometres of watermains installed

Neighbourhood street upgrades continued throughout the city, alongside annual sidewalk construction, traffic signal upgrades and intersection improvements. Underground water, sewer and storm work was also carried out as part of the city’s Infrastructure Renewal Program.

Work continued on London’s rapid transit network in 2025. The Downtown Loop is now fully open, with buses operating in dedicated lanes and signal priority in place. Existing London Transit Commission routes began using the infrastructure this year ahead of full rapid transit operations planned for later in the decade.

Construction is ongoing on the East London Link and Wellington Gateway corridors. Underground work and bridge upgrades progressed along Oxford Street, at the Oxford Street and Highbury Avenue intersection, at the Highbury Bridge, Clark’s Bridge and along Wellington Road. Paving of bus lanes and installation of transit shelters are planned for 2026.

Construction milestones reached in 2025:

• The Adelaide Underpass project was formally celebrated following completion of landscaping and restoration work at McMahen Park.
• The Downtown Loop was completed, with dedicated red bus lanes and transit signal infrastructure now in use.
• Buses began operating in both directions on King Street between Old East Village and downtown using new dedicated lanes, marking the first phase of two-way transit operations ahead of full rapid transit service planned for 2027.
• Improvements at the Fanshawe Park Road and Richmond Street intersection were completed, including underground servicing and mobility upgrades.
• The Oxford Street and Gideon Drive intersection was converted to a roundabout to accommodate traffic volumes and included new sidewalks, cycling paths, traffic-calming features and upgraded water and sewer infrastructure. 

Projects completed in 2025:

• Adelaide Underpass
• Downtown Loop Phase 3
• Oxford and Gideon Intersection Improvement
• Colonel Talbot Road Upgrades
• Adelaide Street North Bridge Rehabilitation
• Central Avenue Cycling Improvement
• Byron Bridge Rehabilitation
• Cycling improvements on both Ridout and Commissioners  
• Local Road Reconstruction Program (Sundridge Cout, Edmunds Place, Parks Edge Close, Lochern Road, Grace Sreet, Elmgrove Crescent, Pinegrove Crescent, Pine Valley Boulevard, and Pine Valley Lane)
• Arterial Road Renewal Program (River Road, Dundas Street, Gainsborough Road, and White Oak Road)
• New Sidewalk Program (Luxton Drive, King Edward Avenue, Newbold Street, Oxford Street East, Tennent Avenue, University Avenue, Broughdale Avenue, Michael Street, and Hyde Park Road)