Tecumseh Road East construction project coming to an end soon
Contractor awaiting approval for work near tracks in high-traffic area
A construction project that has narrowed Tecumseh Road East for months in one of its most hightraffic stretches will hopefully be completed within weeks after repeated delays, a top city official said on Friday.
A large hole in the westbound lanes in the 1000 block of Tecumseh Road East has been blocked off since the spring and forced drivers to merge on a section of the busy road utilized daily by thousands of drivers.
The construction work near the intersection of Forest Avenue is related to an underground Bell Canada line project and being undertaken by Aecon Group Inc.
“We have been monitoring it closely,” said Dwayne Dawson, executive director of operations for the city. “We have talked to them to understand their schedule and about some of the things that have delayed them.”
The project is currently on hold due to the contractor awaiting approvals from CN Railway, which owns the railway tracks adjacent to the ongoing construction work.
“They are waiting to do work underneath the tracks,” Dawson said. “They are waiting for an agreement from the railway so they can complete the job.
“Once they have that, they can quickly complete the conduit and there is not much work after that. We will need another week or two to finish the pavement.”
Dawson indicated the contractor has encountered other unexpected “complications” since the project got underway.
“Originally they were supposed to be done in the summer,” he said. “But they ran into some conditions and issues they were not expecting and had to revisit their plan. We are working closely with them to understand their schedule and what they are encountering.”