Why construction closures and traffic delays are worsened by police shortage

Delays and detours are fuelling the frustration of London, Ont. drivers this road construction season.

“It’s definitely been a little inconvenient, you never know what you are going to run into,” says Charles Cheung after navigating multiple road closures to get downtown.

This year, fewer intersections have been kept open to vehicles during construction due to a shortage of police officers to direct traffic.

According to city engineers, the Highway Traffic Act requires an officer be present at a signalized intersection impacted by construction — or the intersection must be fully closed.

“Like many municipalities, we have seen an increase in cases when officers are not available to do traffic control,” explains Jennie Dann, director of construction and infrastructure. “At the same time, this is a record year for construction in London so the number of requests is up.”

So far this construction season, unplanned intersection closures have taken place on Dundas, Ridout, and Brydges streets.

Road construction on King Street in London, Ont., as seen on July 27, 2022. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)Directing traffic through construction sites is not a core responsibility for police.

Made available as “paid duty,” the city hires officers to do the work in addition to their normal shifts.

The London Police Association (LPA) says paid duty opportunities have become less popular in recent years.

Officers are valuing their time off to refresh and recharge more than overtime pay.

“In this environment, with calls hovering around 200 calls in queue each day, staffing issues, and [officers] going from call to call to call, they’re simply getting burnt out,” explains the LPA’s Rick Robson.

Dann says to the greatest extent possible, intersection work is being rescheduled to periods when police officers are available, or intersections are closed during off-peak traffic times.

“We’re going to try to stay as nimble as we can, adapt our approach and keep these projects moving quickly,” she says.