LONDON, ONT. -- The signs of spring are all around with warmer weather, flowers blooming, birds chirping, and the return of construction projects.

Yes, the season of construction is upon us once again, and this year it will see one of the City’s most talked about (and debated) initiatives finally break ground.

Phase one of the Downtown Loop of London’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) plan is set to begin.

Last week CTV News reported on the final use of the King Street bike lane through the downtown corridor as crews prepared to shut it down for construction.

The City’s BRT plan has undergone several changes over the years and was greatly scaled back from the original vision.

The Downtown Loop is the first of London’s BRT projects to get underway and is expected to be completed in three phases through 2023.

BRT Loop

Phase One will see the King Street portion of the loop completed this year.

Queen’s Avenue and Ridout Street will be completed next year, and Wellington Street will complete the loop the following year.

The project will change the look of those streets with dedicated bus lanes and rapid transit stops.

Old and aging sewers will also be repaired or replaced during construction.

For more information from the City on the BRT project, follow this link.