Busy road construction season in London ramping up

Just like the forecast, the road construction season is starting to heat up in London.

Staff will present a report to the civic works committee Tuesday afternoon, reviewing the top 10 road construction projects planned for 2017. They’ll also outline why this year’s projects will likely be more expensive than last year.

City engineer Ugo DeCandido said they’re taking advantage of the mild weather conditions.

“Most of these projects were scheduled to start in late April or early May, that’s typically the timeline attached to work around here, however we were able to get ahead of the curve and we’ve got about three or four, perhaps even five projects started right now,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Most of these projects were scheduled to start in late April or early May, that's typically the timeline attached to work around here, however we were able to get ahead of the curve and we've got about three or four, perhaps even five projects started right now," he said.

Those projects currently underway include sewer and water work on Dundas Street and road work on Veterans Memorial Parkway, which ramps up even further next week.

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For an updated list of ongoing construction projects in the city, click here.

An estimated $179 million in capital infrastructure work is planned for 2017, with the city rebuilding 85 kilometres of road, and 25 kilometres of sanitary and storm sewers.

That’s $33 million more than the estimated $146 million in construction projects budgeted last year. The city aimed to work on 95 kilometres of road, and 21 kilometres of sanitary and storm sewers in 2016. Officials have said final touch-ups are being done this spring.

The report from staff outlines some of the reasons why this year’s projects may be more expensive, including expected increases in asphalt and cement costs, the introduction of the new carbon tax, and a number of new government funding initiatives limiting contractor resources. Staff note delays in program approvals may also reduce the ability to complete select projects on time.

READ MORE: London area traffic map

DeCandido added some projects simply have bigger budgets, and this year’s work will help prepare for bigger projects coming later.

“You’re looking at scope, and size limits of the project, those are generally the number one factors in construction costs,” he said. “We’re planning to get into the downtown area in future years with a lot of significant work, so we need some of these big corridors widened and move traffic around the outside to help us move into downtown.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "You're looking at scope, and size limits of the project, those are generally the number one factors in construction costs," he said. "We're planning to get into the downtown area in future years with a lot of significant work, so we need some of these big corridors widened and move traffic around the outside to help us move into downtown."

Some of the ways staff hope to save money include early tender calls, contractor performance evaluations, and levelling fines to contractors who don’t finish projects on time.

City hall recently increased liquidated damage penalties from $500 per working day ($2,500 per week) to $1,000 per calendar day ($7,000 per week) plus administrative costs, following past delays in construction projects. According to staff, these increases have significantly reduced the number of contracts exceeding the specified number of working days.

Tuesday’s civic works committee meeting begins at 4 p.m.