City to eliminate the Highbury Avenue 'budump-budump' with $20M rebuild

Highbury Avenue north of Highway 401 in London, Ont. is seen Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. (Daryl Newcombe / CTV News)

An end to the suspension-stressing drive between Hamilton Road and Highway 401 is on the horizon.

In a new report to the Civic Works Committee, city engineers outline a $20-million plan to rebuild Highbury Avenue south of the soon to be completed Wenige Expressway Bridge.

“The city would like to progress the remainder of the design work on the balance of Highbury Avenue South in order to be able to tender this work in the fall of 2022 for construction in 2023,” reads the report.

About 45,000 vehicles, including 15 per cent truck traffic, travel the divided section of Highbury Avenue every day.

It is a somewhat unusual design in London, constructed with a seamed concrete base and asphalt repairs on the surface.

The roadway is 57 years old, and as it approaches the end of its serviceable life, drivers experience a reverberating ‘budump-budump’ noise as their tires bounce over the uneven surface.

“We will be providing a better riding surface,” says Garfield Dales, division manager of Transportation Planning and Design. “It’s well overdue for some attention.”

City engineers recommend hiring Parson Incorporated Consulting Engineers to undertake detailed design work, including a cost-benefit analysis of rebuilding with concrete or asphalt.

“Concrete tends to last longer and require less rehabilitation work,” explains Dales. “Asphalt may have a lower initial cost, but requires repairs on a more frequent basis.”

The Civic Works Committee will consider the report on December 14.