The city has announced that the West King Edward water, sewer and street upgrade project that began in the summer of 2022 is finally finished. All is quiet now on West 25th between Dunbar and Quesnel.
By Carol Volkart
After three years, a year longer than initially promised, the four blocks of West King Edward from Quesnel Drive to Dunbar are finally basking in peace.
The construction equipment, the porta-potties, the fences, the orange pylons, signs and bollards are (almost all) gone. The boulevard rain gardens are planted and blooming, the bike and car lanes have shiny new paint, and at least some street parking is back.
None of it was easy. The drawn-out project, which began in the summer of 2022 with an initial completion date of late spring 2024, had at least some residents asking how it could possibly take more than two years to upgrade four city blocks. Then there was the city’s surprise decision last fall to relocate bike lanes to the curb; the ensuing protests and petitions had the city apologizing and backing down.
In the end? The street looks renewed and lush. The bike lanes are in the usual location, beside the curbside car parking. Street parking is back, although some has been sacrificed to the street redesign and longer bus-stop spaces.
The city’s website reported in May that while some line painting and minor restoration work will continue until early summer 2025, the West King Edward project is now complete.
The raised piece of concrete between the bike and car lane at 25th and Collingwood is what the city calls a “pedestrian refuge,” aimed at increasing pedestrian safety.
Newly marked bike lane at Collingwood and West 25th.
Early-morning rider at Dunkirk and King Edward.