It's not even spring, but road work is winding back up.
Starting Monday, Highbury Avenue North between Oxford Street and the north limit of the Highbury Avenue overpass, just north of Dundas Street, and Oxford Street from just a few metres east of Highbury Avenue to near Wistow Street will have lane restrictions. The reduced lanes are being put in place as construction of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) east London link Phase 3C project begins.
The lane restrictions will be in place until December.
"Crews are in the area this week setting up traffic control and other necessary elements in preparation for major construction to begin next week," the city said in a statement. "Drivers are advised to expect delays and are encouraged to use navigation apps such as Waze and Google Maps to find alternative routes when possible."
For pedestrians, the city will erect "wayfinding signs" to help people walking navigate around the work. The sidewalk on at least one side of the street will be maintained at all times and all businesses will remain accessible. Some LTC stops along these sections of Highbury and Oxford will be impacted during construction. The city is encouraging transit riders to go to the LTC website for the most up-to-date information.
Construction of Phase 3C of the east London link will be done in two sections. The second section is planned for later this spring and summer and will allow for the completion of utility servicing and other off-road works on Highbury Avenue North, south of the overpass and just west of the Dundas Street intersection.
The east London link will revitalize more than 6 km of road from the downtown to Fanshawe College, the city said. It will see the creation of dedicated public transit lanes and the repairing and replacing of aging sewers, watermains and other underground infrastructure. Phase 3C on Highbury will include above ground improvements to add centre-running bus-only lanes and enhanced rapid transit stops, as well as active transportation elements at the Highbury Avenue North and Oxford Street intersection. There will be a mix of underground work and hydro relocations as part of this phase.
Next month, Phase 3A on Dundas Street between Egerton Street and McCormick Boulevard will begin, bringing even more lane restrictions. A pre-construction meeting and further details about this phase of the project will be shared prior to construction, the city said.