Ward 13 Councillor, Arielle Kayabaga, and London Mayor, Ed Holder pose with construction workers who helped build the new flex street. (Photo by Ruby Sweeney, X FM News.)
The Dundas Place construction project is finally complete. The four blocks of road stretching between Wellington and Ridout Street is now home to London’s very first flexible street.
After 2 years of ongoing construction, the $16 million project has transformed the downtown core making the area more accessible.
The two-way street features wide sidewalks with room for cyclists and motor vehicles. The city says the street will close for entertainment purposes similar to the ‘Jurassic Park’ events hosted during the Toronto Raptors games hosted last spring.
Mayor Ed Holder attended a grand opening event and placed the final brick in the flex street. Holder says he’s proud of the project’s completion and anticipates that Londoners will once again enjoy coming downtown.
“you’ve never seen Dundas street the way it looks today. It’s stunningly, beautiful. Londoners and folks from outside of London will see this street and they’ll say ‘wow.'”
A first look at the new flex street on Dundas Street facing east towards Wellington Street. (Photo by: Ruby Sweeney X FM News.)
Mayor Ed Holder and Ward 13 Councillor Arielle Kayabaga placing the final brick at Dundas Place. #LdnOnt pic.twitter.com/DtfL4TAegw
— XFM News (@XFMNews) December 9, 2019
The project caused road closures and detours which put a strain on some downtown businesses. Holder expresses his gratitude to the business owners for their patience and encourages Londoners to support the local over the holiday season.
“It’s about celebrating business and giving the street back to our merchants, to our pedestrians, and cyclists, and drivers. We can finally move through all four blocks with ease.”
Holder understands that big construction jobs can be frustrating to residents but says people need to remember why these projects have to happen. He made reference to the Oct. 2007 sinkhole London had just metres away from the new flex street at Wellington and Dundas.
“Under the streets here we had 100-plus-year old infrastructure, and it had to go.”
Now that the floor of the flex street is complete, Londoners have ample opportunity to enjoy the downtown core with ease. Finishing touches will continue through the winter and into the spring of 2020.
