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.

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.

Local access to all properties and businesses will 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.

Construction in the area is anticipated to continue through December 2024, with some planned carry-over and finishing work in 2025.

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.

Please note that a pre-construction webinar will also be hosted for the Phase 3A project (Dundas Street between Egerton Street and McCormick Boulevard) before work begins in the area.

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.

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