East London Link
About this project
The East London Link is a multi-year project that will revitalize more than 6 km of road from Downtown to Fanshawe College. The project will add transportation and transit improvements above ground, while repairing and replacing aging sewers, watermains and other underground infrastructure. The East London Link has received funding commitments from the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario to support 10 transit and transit-supportive projects.
Centre-median
For both curbside and centre-running configurations, rapid transit corridors require a centre-median to maintain safe, frequent, and reliable transit operations. As a result, left-turning movements will be restricted to signalized intersections. Driveways and unsignalized side streets will change to right-in/out access.
This change may require local businesses to alter their delivery and/or access routes to and from both Highbury Avenue and Oxford Street as part of the East London Link project.
Project status - Phase 4 (Oxford Street)
As the City of London prepares to begin construction for the East London Link Phase 4 project in 2025, a public engagement period was hosted between November 6 – 15, 2024, for residents and businesses to view the near-final designs and learn more about the project. Construction work on this phase is anticipated to begin in spring 2025, with some planned finishing work in 2026.
Public engagement opportunities
The City of London hosted a virtual meeting on Wednesday, November 6 to present an overview of the project design, construction timeline, and other details, such as impact mitigation.
An in-person drop-in session was also hosted on Tuesday, November 12 at the City of London Major Projects Office.
A copy of the presentation is now available and can be viewed by clicking here.
Above: Map of East London Link Phase 4 (Oxford Street from Highbury Avenue to a few metres east of Second Street)
Above: Conceptual rendering of the East London Link Phase 4 on Oxford Street.
Project status - Phase 3B (Highbury Avenue Bridge)
Improvements to the Highbury Avenue Bridge will be completed as part of the East London Link Phase 3.
The project includes the reconstruction and widening of Highbury Avenue from Dundas Street to the north limit of the Highbury Bridge / CPKC overpass.
The road widening will transform Highbury Avenue North from a four-lane cross-section to a six-lane cross-section, with a dedicated centre-running rapid transit lane in each direction (northbound and southbound).
Above: A conceptual rendering of the Highbury Avenue Bridge as part of the East London Link Phase 3B.
A recording of the public update webinar hosted in October 2023 is available further down on this web page with additional information about the East London Link Phase 3 design.
Expected construction timeline:
Construction is anticipated to start in January 2025 (weather permitting) and continue through 2025 and 2026.
The work will be completed in stages to continue to maintain road access while also allowing the project to progress as efficiently as possible.
Anticipated impacts:
This section of Highbury Avenue will remain open with reduced lanes and delays throughout the duration of the project.
Project status - Phase 3A West (Dundas Street)
Construction is already underway for Phase 3A West of the East London Link and Municipal Infrastructure Improvements project on Dundas Street between Egerton Street and McCormick Boulevard, which will continue until approximately December 2024, with some planned carry-over work in spring/summer 2025.
This work will be completed in stages and to allow the project to progress while maintaining access to businesses and properties within the construction limits and nearby industrial areas. The first stage of the project will start on the north side of Dundas Street between Egerton Street and Burbrook Street, requiring lane reductions and turning restrictions. The project will then progress east to McCormick Boulevard requiring similar restrictions.
Winter update:
Work will continue to progress over the winter months on Dundas Street with reduced lanes in place.
Local access to all properties and businesses will continue to be maintained during construction.
Above: Map of the approximate limits of the project.
Recording of the pre-construction webinar for Phase 3A West (Dundas Street)
Thank you for joining us virtually on Tuesday, March 19, for a pre-construction webinar for the East London Link Phase 3A West.
Project status - Phase 3C (Highbury Avenue)
The City of London began constructing Phase 3C of the East London Link and Municipal Infrastructure Improvements in February along Highbury Avenue North between Oxford Street and the north limit of the Highbury Avenue overpass, as well as on Oxford Street from a few metres east of the Highbury Avenue intersection to near Wistow Street.
Winter update:
Work will continue to progress over the winter months on Highbury Avenue with reduced lanes in place.
Above: A map of the project limits for East London Link Phase 3C
Recording of the pre-construction webinar for Phase 3C (Highbury Avenue)
Thank you for joining us virtually on Wednesday, February 21, for a pre-construction webinar for the East London Link Phase 3C.
Other work planned in 2024, include Phase 3A on Dundas Street between Egerton Street and McCormick Boulevard. Remaining phases of the East London Link project, including Phase 3B along the Highbury Bridge are tentatively planned for 2025 and 2026.
Anticipated impacts:
Drivers:
- Reduced lanes through the project limits along Highbury Avenue and Oxford Street
- Turning movement restrictions and delays
- Access will be maintained to commercial and industrial areas as well as residences
Transit riders:
- Some LTC stops may be impacted while this work is underway. Transit riders are advised to visit the LTC website for service updates during construction
People walking:
- Sidewalk closures and restrictions may be required during construction
- Safe pedestrian connections and wayfinding signs will be in place to guide people walking around the construction zones
- Sidewalk access will be maintained on at least one side of the road throughout construction
Recording of the Public Information Centre for East London Link Phase 3
Work details
Construction in 2024 on phase 3 of the East London Link is expected to include:
- Adding concrete platforms for future rapid transit stops on Dundas Street and Highbury Avenue
- Widening Highbury Road bridge to implement dedicated rapid transit lanes
- Adding a concrete median throughout the center of Dundas Street and Highbury Avenue
- Underground water and sewer replacement
- Intersection upgrades and full intersection replacements
- Upgrades to landscaping where applicable
- Various utility works
Design update
The Dundas Street portion of phase 3 of the East London Link was updated from centre-running bus lanes to curb-side bus lanes, to implement a design solution that benefits transit operation while reducing business and property impacts. As the project team refined the original designs, it was determined that curbside design can continue to provide higher order transit operations, while balancing the interests of businesses, drivers and local transit users along Dundas Street.
Above: A cross-section illustration of the new configuration for the Dundas Street portion of phase 3, between Egerton Street and Highbury Avenue
The main factors considered when switching to a curbside RT configuration were overall corridor operations and reducing business/property impacts:
- Property impacts: The footprint of the project is reduced by adjusting to a curbside RT configuration. The center-running design was very impactful to businesses and properties. The number of properties affected by land acquisition needs has been reduced by approximately 40% as a result of this design change. Also, the size of land parcels that we still require are now considerably smaller. In some cases, the design was able to avoid building impacts that had been identified in the Environmental Assessment.
- Local transit operations: With only one traffic lane, local buses must also use the bus-only lane. Center-running bus lanes mean local buses can ONLY stop at RT platforms. By moving the bus-only lanes to the curb, local buses now have the ability to offer additional local stop opportunities to better support riders with mobility issues.
- RT stop spacing: Locating RT stop platforms in the median requires a much larger footprint at intersections than curbside RT stop platforms. Adjusting to a curbside configuration made it possible to fit an additional stop at Kellogg’s Lane. The EA concepts showed a stop spacing of 1.1 kms in this location, which does not support transit ridership and is cut in half with a curbside configuration.
- Business access / operations: The curbside scenario provides improved access for businesses and also provides wider right turn movements for larger vehicles, such as delivery trucks. The design team continues to consult with businesses to understand their business access needs for both the ultimate design and during construction.
Near-final designs will be shared in detail this fall at an upcoming Public Information Centre meeting.
Rapid transit bus shelter
London's first rapid transit shelter is being installed at the new northbound Ontario Street station at King Street.
The shelter structures will take most of the week to set up, followed by installation of the electrical, lighting, and other amenities over the following weeks.
To learn more, please visit london.ca/rtshelters.
Above: A photo of the installation of the first rapid transit shelter at Ontario Street and King Street.
Stay connected
If you wish to receive email updates from the City of London about the East London Link project, sign-up by clicking here.
