Image by: Western University
Western students driving or busing from east of Richmond Street may have to prepare for a longer commute starting this week.
Western University recently announced that the University Drive Bridge will be closed to all vehicular traffic starting October 18. Buses will be operating on a detour schedule starting right when the reading week ends.
UPDATE – University Drive Bridge: Effective Monday (October 15), LTC Routes 6, 13 and 106 will be detoured. Effective Thursday (October 18), University Drive Bridge will be closed to all motorized vehicles. #westernu #ldnont https://t.co/MNx4QWzk8I
— Western University (@WesternU) October 14, 2018
This news comes after an engineering firm checked-up on the bridge and found that the bridge needs repairs to prepare for Winter. Associate Vice-President of Communications Helen Connell says that the firm found the bridge was unable to ‘move’ from freezing and thawing over the winter. She says
“Safety is at the forefront of this decision […] we are working with the City of London, London Transit, emergency services, University hospital and other community stakeholders to communicate the closure and mitigate its impact.”
The bridge is the only way for vehicles to connect to the university’s campus west of Richmond Street on University Drive. Now, all vehicular traffic must take a detour and travel through Windermere Road or Oxford Street from Richmond Street.
Students who regularly board the 6, 106, and 13 bus should be prepared for the re-routed routes that start on Monday, October 15th until further notice.
The last time the bridge was closed was in 2016 where it was shut down from busses for 3 days in order to conduct a re-inspection and repairs. The last time the bridge has undergone major repairs was in 2002, where heavy trucks were restricted from the bridge.
