Southdale Road Improvements

[CanadianTalk]

I wasn't sure if this warranted its own thread (or even two separate threads), but it looks like two major construction projects are set to happen on Southdale Road West, this year.

First is the widening of Southdale from two to four lanes from Pine Valley Blvd to Bostwick Rd (including a short segment of Bostwick, south of Southdale, so that it can tie into future widening). Here is the link to the project page, which also features a presentation that shows a rendering of how the road will look.

Second is a complete reconstruction of Southdale from Wickerson Rd to Boler Rd. The road will be vertically re-aligned to to eliminate steep curves. Those of you who have driven on this road know how hilly it is, lol. Here is a link to the environmental assessment page and council documents which show that the reconstruction will start this year. Wickerson Rd will also be reconstructed, as part of this project.

Sidewalks and bike-lanes will also be added, in both projects.

Future projects scheduled for Southdale Road West include installing a roundabout at Southdale and Colonel Talbot in 2024, as well as the widening from Bostwick to Colonel Talbot in 2031.

[haljackey]

Thanks for making a separate thread!

So the roundabout at Colonel Talbot is a go? I think that's a great choice for that junction. It is a shame Southdale won't be widened west to it until 2031 however... I'd argue that widening is needed now or even several years ago. Widening to Bostwick is at least something I guess.

[Djeffery]

Interesting piece in that recording from the public info session in December. They aren't putting a right turn lane onto Yorkville St (which is the name of the new road where the community centre is). Not sure why they would omit that, but put a right turn lane at Bostwick. Yorkville is going to be a pretty busy street once a couple more of those buildings get built back there. You would think it would sense to put that lane in during this phase, so that the bike lane and sidewalks also don't have to be moved later, should the decision be made to add a right later.

[Pimpmasterdac]

City is piss poor with the improvements & planning they've done on Southdale despite nothing holding them back for a land or space issue. When the section of Southdale between Wharncliffe and Wonderland was widened 10 years ago, city didn't bother to put in right turn lanes at Notre Dame, Andover, or even on Wonderland. Even with this latest improvement Wonderland/Southdale still isn't seeing any additional right turn lanes being added despite being well overdue.

[Spoofy]

Originally Posted by CanadianTalk

Second is a complete reconstruction of Southdale from Wickerson Rd to Boler Rd. The road will be vertically re-aligned to to eliminate steep curves. Those of you who have driven on this road know how hilly it is, lol...

Really disappointed to hear this The downhill driving out of town was such an adrenaline rush even if you just take your foot off the brake, let alone if you actually had your foot on the gas even a little bit. At least they aren't touching the awesome curves in the road as you approach Westdel Bourne, this segment of the road and the part of Colonel Talbot as you head into Byron are two of my favourite roads to drive in the city.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by Spoofy

the part of Colonel Talbot as you head into Byron are two of my favourite roads to drive in the city.

Yes, the real Snake Hill (somehow Reservoir Hill became known as snake hill, but it's a cheap imposter lol). I head out for work every morning up that hill.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Yes, the real Snake Hill (somehow Reservoir Hill became known as snake hill, but it's a cheap imposter lol). I head out for work every morning up that hill.

Snake Hill on Commissioners these days is nothing like it was prior to reconstruction in 2007. Much sharper curves with zero visibility around them. Driving to Westmount Mall in the winter was always an adventure.

I also remember when Byron Baseline Road was much steeper between Timber Drive and Wickerson Road prior to reconstruction almost 20 years ago. It was narrow and felt like driving over a cliff. But there was also a heck of a lot less traffic back then and we used to walk (!) up that hill to go pick apples.

[tyeman200]

Originally Posted by Pimpmasterdac

City is piss poor with the improvements & planning they've done on Southdale despite nothing holding them back for a land or space issue. When the section of Southdale between Wharncliffe and Wonderland was widened 10 years ago, city didn't bother to put in right turn lanes at Notre Dame, Andover, or even on Wonderland. Even with this latest improvement Wonderland/Southdale still isn't seeing any additional right turn lanes being added despite being well overdue.

That's the London way for you, waste money, then waste even more money.

[MolsonExport]

the London way is build stroads, then build more stroads, and still more stroads.

[CanadianTalk]

It looks like the Southdale reconstruction project between Wickerson Rd and Boler Rd that was scheduled to start this year will be deferred to at least 2025, due to the unexpected increase in the construction costs for the Adelaide underpass project (the city had to take funding from other projects to make up for this increase).

Here is a link to the CTV article: https://london.ctvnews.ca/budget-buster-...s-price-tag-jumps-29-3-million-1.5832143

At least we can still enjoy the steep hills (well until then anyway) .

However, the Southdale widening between Pine Valley and Bostwick is still set to go this year as the project is listed as one of the city's 'top 10' construction projects.

[tyeman200]

I don't get how the project increases over time? & Why the city needs to shell out the money? I feel for projects like this the city needs to make a better contract where they pay them the agreed amount, and if it increases it falls on the contractor. This way jobs are more accurately quoted and not end up like this.

I don't know about anyone else, but getting sick of council taking their sweet time to do things, and then everything goes up in cost and we pay for it. Especially when this project has been in talks since 2018. Other cities have projects approved and already being built in the same year.

[Djeffery]

I don't think there was a contract at this point as the city only just got the bids back, which is why the sticker shock. The original amount would have been the city's best guess at the time. Don't forget too that Adelaide was moved up in the schedule by 10 years, so with all the other stuff that had to happen first, they couldn't have just decided in 2018 to start digging.

[CanadianTalk]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I don't think there was a contract at this point as the city only just got the bids back, which is why the sticker shock.

Yes this is correct. I should have been more clear in my previous post (that there was no official contract yet).

The Adelaide underpass was only recently put out in a bid/tender process, this past November. As I understand it, the lowest bid that the city received, is $29 million more than the cost the environmental assessment, from about 5 years ago, predicted.

[tyeman200]

Originally Posted by CanadianTalk

Yes this is correct. I should have been more clear in my previous post (that there was no official contract yet).

The Adelaide underpass was only recently put out in a bid/tender process, this past November. As I understand it, the lowest bid that the city received, is $29 million more than the cost the environmental assessment, from about 5 years ago, predicted.

Ok, I was under the impression it was already under contract due to the work already being done.

[CanadianTalk]

The Southdale Road widening project between Pine Valley and just west of Bostwick will start next Monday, May 2nd.

Construction is estimated to finish by December.

[CanadianTalk]

For anyone who has been out in the area recently, how is the Southdale widening going so far?

Assuming the project is still on track (using the original May to December timeline), it should be over halfway done. Last I travelled on Southdale a couple months ago, they were working on the WB lanes first.

Have they finished the WB side yet, and has traffic shifted over to the new lanes?

[Djeffery]

They widened it to the south (EB) first and put traffic over there and have been working on the westbound side since. No left turns allowed at Pine Valley or Bostwick, but that doesn't stop people from doing it anyway. It looked to me like they were making decent progress with curbs and grading, wouldn't be surprised if they paved it over the next week or so and shifted traffic over. I have no idea what underground work needs to happen on the new eastbound side, I don't think they did any sewer work under there when they widened it out for the current temporary traffic lanes.

[Djeffery]

Most of the WB side has been paved from Pine Valley to Bostwick. Still have the short piece west of Bostwick and then I imagine they will shift traffic over to that side and work in the EB side.

[CanadianTalk]

Has traffic flipped over to the WB side yet?

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by CanadianTalk

Has traffic flipped over to the WB side yet?

Not as of 9am today. My guess is by tomorrow as it looked like most of the paving was done and they had painted more of the line to the west (not that the single yellow line would take more than 5 minutes anyway).