Motorists will want to be extra cautious along King Street over the summer, but particularly for the next six weeks.
Until the end of May, crews will be working on the King Street Cycle Lane Improvements project.
Construction will be completed in three stages. The first will happen between Ridout Street and Richmond Street, the second from Richmond Street to Wellington Street, and the third and final stage will take place between Wellington Street and Colborne Street.
Since construction at Dundas Place is happening at the same time, Londoners are warned King Street could get a little “bunchy.”
“Traffic will be moving slower, so use all the patience that you can during peak traffic time.”
“During the day and after the commuter traffic is finished, it’s quite navigable downtown,” he said.
To deal with the inevitable congestion, Yachula suggested using the WAZE app, which can offer almost real-time information about slow spots throughout the city.
He also said to pay attention to the orange signs.
“They’re there to help drivers navigate where they can and can’t turn left, where the roadblocks are up ahead so if they want to make an early turn, they can do that,” he said.
“I know there’s a lot to pay attention to in the downtown environment, but these are there to help,” he said.
All on-street parking will be removed from King Street during construction and the existing bike lane will be closed. Bus service will continue, but some LTC stops may be temporarily relocated.
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Other major downtown projects include Phase 2 of Dundas Place which kicked off in mid-March, closing what is to become London’s first flex street between Richmond Street and Wellington Street, including the Clarence Street intersection.
The second phase of a downtown sewer operation is also taking place, closing York Street from Talbot Street to just west of Clarence Street. That project will also shut down Talbot Street south of King Street to York Street.