If you were planning to cruise down James Street today, you might want to reroute your commute. The stretch between Alma Street and Wellington Street is completely closed off, and it’s all because of some seriously heavy-duty equipment moving in.
We’re talking about a 350-tonne crane that’s basically taken over the neighbourhood. This beast of a machine isn’t just there for show – it’s got a pretty specific job to do at Sir Adam Beck Manor on Sydenham Street.
The whole operation is centred around replacing a chiller system at the manor, which requires the kind of precision and power that only a massive crane can provide. Cameron Crane is handling the job, and they’ve got trucks and trailers scattered around the area to support the operation.
The closure kicked off at 8:00 AM this morning and is scheduled to wrap up by 5:00 PM. City officials made sure to give residents a heads-up the day before, posting reminders on social media about the temporary disruption.
What’s actually pretty thoughtful about this whole setup is that despite the street being closed to through traffic, local access is still maintained. So if you live or work in the area, you can still get to your destination – you just might have to navigate around some industrial equipment.
The City of London’s Renew London system has been tracking this closure as part of their ongoing infrastructure monitoring. The project falls under private utility work, which means it’s not a city-led initiative but rather a private contractor working within the city’s right-of-way.
James Street isn’t exactly a quiet side street either – it’s a pretty well-travelled route for locals moving between different parts of the city. The closure affects the area right in the heart of the neighbourhood, making it one of those disruptions that definitely gets noticed.
For anyone trying to figure out alternative routes, Wellington Street and other parallel roads are still flowing normally. The closure is specifically contained to that one block of James Street where all the heavy lifting is happening.