Downtown core construction to pave way for London’s future

Downtown London has seen a number of traffic slowdowns as the result of an infrastructure facelift.

Current plans have three simultaneous projects taking place in the downtown core during the 2018 construction season.

The first project is the construction of Dundas Place, which has Dundas Street closed between Richmond Street and Ridout Street.

The second is the York Street sewer separation, which will see York Street closed in stages between the Thames River and Talbot Street.

The third and final project in the core is the Talbot Street Reconstruction. It hasn’t started just yet, but it will cause lane reductions on Talbot between Fullarton Street and Kent Street.

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“There comes a point in history where renewal is necessary,” said London’s manager for Downtown Projects and Business Relations Jim Yanchula. He told 980 CFPL that London is a 21st-century city sitting on top of a 19th-century infrastructure.

“There’s all kinds of fibre-optics that the 19th-century city obviously wasn’t designed for, and can be put in now,” said Yanchula.

“We have the opportunity to future-proof ourselves.”

The latest traffic delay is the closure of Talbot Street at Dundas Street, which will last for up to 16 weeks. The three projects are expected to be complete sometime during the 2018 construction season.

In the meantime, orange detour signs have been set up around downtown London to help drivers find their way around construction sites.