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Wilson Street about to get very messy

Set to be closed to traffic for at least three months for above and below ground improvements
20170622 wilson street ts
Wilson Street is set to be closed to traffic for three months for construction work beginning July 24. Tony Saxon/GuelphToday

Wilson Street in Downtown Guelph is set to be closed to traffic for an estimated three months for infrastructure and streetscape improvements.

The work is set to begin on July 24 and be completed by the end of October.

A city notice said that work includes underground sewer and water upgrades, curb, gutter, paver brick and sidewalk improvements.

The new plans call for parallel parking on both sides of Wilson (currently there is angled parking on the west side) and trees to be planted adjacent to the road.

The project also includes a permanent pedestrian island in the middle of Macdonell Street just east of Wilson Street. Road narrowing will also take place there. The city previously had a temporary island placed there that proved popular, and safer, for people wishing to take photos of Basilica of Our Lady. It also became an island that helped people cross Macdonell Street.

During construction, Wilson Street will be closed to vehicles from Northumberland Street to Macdonell Street. Access to businesses will be maintained.

As part of the project the Wilson Street parking lot will be closed for four weeks, the exact date of that closure has yet to be determined, the city said. Wilson Street from Northumberland Street to Gordon Street will also be closed to vehicle traffic during the parking lot closure.

Three Guelph Transit routes - 5, 8 and 9 - will be temporarily detoured.

The project is part of a budgeted $13.8 million project that includes the building of a new parkade on the current Wilson Street Parking Lot.

That parkade was supposed to begin construction this fall but has been delayed when none of the proposals received from contractors came in on budget. A new request for proposal was sent out by the city at the beginning of 2017. A request from the city for an update on that process was not immediately returned.


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Tony Saxon

About the Author: Tony Saxon

Tony Saxon has had a rich and varied 30 year career as a journalist, an award winning correspondent, columnist, reporter, feature writer and photographer.
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