Sewer expansion involving tunnelling under Thames River begins

Expansion of a sewer under the fork of the Thames River will close two busy parks until next year, but the project will allow far more housing in London’s downtown, city hall says.

As of Thursday, construction work has started in Ivey and Mitchell A. Baran parks along the Thames to replace a sewer that runs under both parks and the river. The sewer, installed in 1934, has reached the end of its useful life and is too small, the city said in a statement.

Both parks and a municipal parking lot will be closed entirely and portions of another municipal lot and the Thames Valley parkway will also be shut, with detours in place, the city said. Signage will guide pedestrians and cyclists around the work area.

The work has started almost exactly a year after Premier Doug Ford and Infrastructure