LONDON, ONT. -- A critical link for pedestrians and cyclists along the Thames River will open near the end of October.

The $6.3 million extension to the Thames Valley Parkway (TVP) will link Rose Park on Richmond Street to the North London Athletic Fields on Adelaide Street.

"This is a game changer for us bikers," explains Colin Bennett. "I’ve ridden these paths for many years. On Richmond (Street) we won’t have to ride on the sidewalk."

BicyclistsArriving at the gap, cyclists and pedestrians have always had to leave the paved pathway, travel along Richmond Street and Windermere Road, before reconnecting with the TVP.

The connection has required construction of two bridges and a pathway through an ecologically rich area along the River.

Originally intended on open at the end of September, construction of the TVP link was declared ‘non-essential’ during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic.

City hall now expects the pathway to open to cyclists and pedestrians near the end of October.