Additional information

During construction the two municipal parking lots located at the north end of Thames Street and at the west end of King Street (Lot 11 and 17) will be closed. The municipal parking lots will be reopened once construction is complete.

During construction Ivey Park will be closed to visitors. The construction of the siphon will involve large machinery and deep excavations and requires a fenced off working area. The playground area and splash pad area will be impacted during construction and may not be accessible. Disturbed surfaces within Ivey Park will be restored to existing conditions as part of the project work. During construction Mitchell A Baran Park will be closed to visitors. The construction of the siphon will involve large machinery and deep excavations and requires a fenced off working area. Disturbed surfaces within Mitchell A Baran Park will be restored to a temporary condition. It is noted that there will be an immediate successive project led by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority for the rebuilding of the West London Dyke through Mitchell A Baran Park and Riverside Park. Ultimate restoration of the parks will be undertaken following completion of all infrastructure works. During construction the Thames Valley Parkway will require detour routes to direct users around the construction sites. Detour routes will be posted onsite via signage and available for download on the project website. Cyclists and pedestrians should exercise caution around construction sites and follow all construction signs.

During a project’s design, staff from the City of London’s engineering, forestry, and construction administration divisions, along with the project engineer and arborist, walk the site to determine the current health of the trees, and determine how to best install infrastructure while minimizing impacts to trees and structures. A total of 251 trees and two vegetation units were assessed within the project limits. 

After careful assessment, it was determined that there are trees within the City parkland and right-of-way that need to be removed for health reasons or due to construction conflicts. Anticipated tree removals are listed below and are subject to change. Drawings showing the tree removal locations will be available for viewing at the project update meeting and will be available on the project website following the meeting. 

Tree size has been grouped into two categories: small trees with a diameter less than 12 inches / 30 cm and large trees with a diameter greater than 12 inches / 30 cm. 

• Removal is required for a total of 39 small trees, 27 large trees and 1 hedge in Ivey Park. 
• Removal is required for a total of 10 small trees and 3 large trees in Mitchell A Baran Park. The trees will be marked with a white line around their trunk one week before removal. 

The required tree removals will be completed by March 31, before the migratory bird nesting period begins. In cases where tree removals continue later into the spring, bird experts are then engaged before any removals take place.

Tree replacements

A landscape plan including tree plantings has been developed for Ivey Park and is included in this project. Trees will be planted near the end of the project and include larger caliper trees to enhance the restoration of the City Park land. The landscape plan will be available for viewing at the project update meeting and will be available on the project website following the meeting.