Goodbye traffic cones, hello fresh pavement.
After nearly a year of construction, Queens Avenue between Wellington and Richmond streets has reopened to vehicular traffic.
The two-block stretch of the one-way street had been closed since last October for Phase II construction of the Downtown Loop. The reopening means drivers heading west will be able to take Queens from Old East Village to Riverside Drive, though some sporadic lane restrictions will pop-up over the next few weeks for landscaping and other small jobs.
During the closure, new sewers and other underground infrastructure were replaced or repaired and new trees, streetlights, and concrete sidewalks were added to beautify the street. The most noticeable change is the addition of a new curbside bus-only lane from Wellington to Ridout Street North, where bus lanes were previously built for rapid transit operations. Pavement markings and signs to help drivers identify the bus-only lane are being installed.
Parking and stopping in the bus-only lane is not allowed, the city is reminding drivers.
Lane restrictions at the Queens and Wellington intersection will continue until the end of the year as part of the Downtown Loop Phase III project.
