Dingman Drive Improvements

[CanadianTalk]

According to the latest council agenda, Dingman Drive between Wellington Road and just east of Highway 401 will be reconstructed next year. The road will be widened to 4 lanes with a centre median, and include sidewalks and in-boulevard bike paths on both sides.

Utility relocations will occur this summer.

The council document states that a roundabout will be constructed at Dingman Dr and White Oak Rd in the future (EA says 2027).

The document also states that "the project timelines are being coordinated with planned development in the area", I do remember a Costco employee mentioning that once the city starts this road improvements project, that Costco will start to build their new south London store (fronting Dingman Drive) as part of PenEquity's new development for the area.

Even though IKEA pulled out, it looks like they are still commencing with the rest of the development, according to their website (link to site plan).

[MolsonExport]

That new costco has been as elusive as the long-mooted new walmart on south wonderland

[CanadianTalk]

Here is a link to a summary of the environmental assessment for this project, if anyone is interested: https://pub-london.escribemeetings.c...cumentId=73201

The last few pages of the document show a rendering of how the road may look.

[CanadianTalk]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

That new costco has been as elusive as the long-mooted new walmart on south wonderland

Definitely true! Both of those projects have been on the table for a ridiculously long time.

On that note, where exactly is this Walmart supposedly planned to be? I recall somewhere near the Wharncliffe/Wonderland/Exeter triangle, but can't remember the exact location.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by CanadianTalk

Definitely true! Both of those projects have been on the table for a ridiculously long time.

On that note, where exactly is this Walmart supposedly planned to be? I recall somewhere near the Wharncliffe/Wonderland/Exeter triangle, but can't remember the exact location.

yep, that is approximately where it is supposed to be, but nothing seems to be happening. Just as well, perhaps.

[Djeffery]

The Walmart was planned for the southeast corner of Wonderland and Exeter as far as I recall, but that went away when Walmart re-upped at White Oaks Mall and renovated the store a few years ago.

As for Dingman Dr, I trust we will be hearing from Jammer soon to congratulate the city on having the foresight to arrange with the MTO to make the new 401 overpass 4 lanes wide, instead of the 2 lane replacement that was planned lol. Right now would have been the perfect time though to put that roundabout in, so there is that.

[Djeffery]

Also should add here, as I did in the 401 thread on the Ontario forum, that the new bridge girders for Dingman are being installed next weekend, Friday and possibly Saturday night, so the 401 and 402 will be closed for that. Signs day March 25-26 9pm-8am, so not 100% sure if that means Friday only or Saturday night as well.

[tyeman200]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

The Walmart was planned for the southeast corner of Wonderland and Exeter as far as I recall, but that went away when Walmart re-upped at White Oaks Mall and renovated the store a few years ago.

Which tbh idk why Walmart would leave the mall, I'm pretty sure at this point they own that store? It's been there for well over 40 years, and that Walmart is still the busiest in London. I live in the south end and drive up to the other Walmarts frequently, as the South London runs out of stock a lot.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by tyeman200

Which tbh idk why Walmart would leave the mall, I'm pretty sure at this point they own that store? It's been there for well over 40 years, and that Walmart is still the busiest in London. I live in the south end and drive up to the other Walmarts frequently, as the South London runs out of stock a lot.

I know the Bay owns their store, not sure Walmart does. I recall back in 2005 when Walmart was talking about leaving, the mall manager, who I knew fairly well, was ready for them to go and he had big plans for that space. He felt the mall would be drastically improved, in much the same way as Masonville was, by not having a Walmart in it. Walmart also wanted a larger footprint. I'm assuming that when the mall was sold, the new owners wanted Walmart and made a sweetheart offer to keep them there. Times had also changed by that point, Masonville was already entrenched as London's higher end mall, and filling that kind of space wasn't going to be as easy as it would have been 10 or so years earlier.

[haljackey]

So will we see Wonderland widened to 4 lanes from Exeter to Digman- and see Digman 4-laned between Wonderland and Wellington?

I remember reading years ago that not only will White Oak get a roundabout with Digman, but Wonderland as well.

South of Digman, Wonderland should also be widened to the 402 and eventually to the 401 but that's held up because the 402 overpass is too narrow and was rehabilitated recently. It could be twinned however to have 4 lanes reach the 401.

White Oak itself could also get 4 laned from Southdale to Digman pretty easily. A lot of sewer work was done already too.

At the rate London is growing, Wal Mart may decide to keep the White Oaks store if they build a new location at Wonderland and Exeter. I doubt they would keep the store if they move to the new Digman plaza, but we'd probably know of a move by now because they would want to build their own store rather than retrofit a location designed for Ikea?

I also think that London has grown to a point where a third Costco may be needed- maybe somewhere in the Northeast end. Highbury and Fanshawe area perhaps? Until then, an expanded Costco at Wellington and Digman will be good, especially the fact it will have a second Costco gas station in town.

[MolsonExport]

Costco badly needs a third London location. NE London would be the most appropriate.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by haljackey

So will we see Wonderland widened to 4 lanes from Exeter to Digman- and see Digman 4-laned between Wonderland and Wellington?

I remember reading years ago that not only will White Oak get a roundabout with Digman, but Wonderland as well.

South of Digman, Wonderland should also be widened to the 402 and eventually to the 401 but that's held up because the 402 overpass is too narrow and was rehabilitated recently. It could be twinned however to have 4 lanes reach the 401.

Agreed on Wonderland being widened south of Exeter. Not sure that a roundabout at Dingman is really necessary though. It's only a T and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Not sure there is enough traffic going from either street to the other to need a roundabout.

[tyeman200]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I know the Bay owns their store, not sure Walmart does. I recall back in 2005 when Walmart was talking about leaving, the mall manager, who I knew fairly well, was ready for them to go and he had big plans for that space. He felt the mall would be drastically improved, in much the same way as Masonville was, by not having a Walmart in it. Walmart also wanted a larger footprint. I'm assuming that when the mall was sold, the new owners wanted Walmart and made a sweetheart offer to keep them there. Times had also changed by that point, Masonville was already entrenched as London's higher end mall, and filling that kind of space wasn't going to be as easy as it would have been 10 or so years earlier.

That's surprising, considering I thought that they would own it because how long Woolco was there before they bought them out. But 2005 would have made far more sense, now not so much lol. With them getting rid of the crappy auto shop, they got their bigger space and now are considered a Supercenter. Only one in London that isn't is the one on Highbury.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Also should add here, as I did in the 401 thread on the Ontario forum, that the new bridge girders for Dingman are being installed next weekend, Friday and possibly Saturday night, so the 401 and 402 will be closed for that. Signs day March 25-26 9pm-8am, so not 100% sure if that means Friday only or Saturday night as well.

As a follow up, this looks like it's been pushed back a week according to the highway signs.

[CanadianTalk]

For anyone one who has been out on the 401 in the area - is the new Dingman bridge over the 401 in the same position as the old bridge, or is it positioned so that the bends on Dingman approaching the 401 have been eliminated (so a more straight alignment)?

Haven't been on the 401 west of Wellington in a while, so I was just curious.

[Djeffery]

It's exactly where it was before.

[CanadianTalk]

Anybody know when the Dingman bridge replacement over the 401 is supposed to be completed? I'm not an engineer, but it seems like it's taking a long time, compared to the recent bridge replacements over the 401 in the London area.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by CanadianTalk

Anybody know when the Dingman bridge replacement over the 401 is supposed to be completed? I'm not an engineer, but it seems like it's taking a long time, compared to the recent bridge replacements over the 401 in the London area.

It's annoying as hell. Now into the 15th month. It was supposed to be a year, which in itself seems so long, when it was only 5 years ago that the much more complex Veterans Memorial Parkway bridge was done in under 8 months and that included new ramps. They haven't even started paving Dingman yet. And then the city is going to go and widen Dingman next year when it could be done while this is closed. I even commented on an MTO Facebook post where they were saying the 416 in Ottawa would be closed this weekend for a bridge replacement. A weekend for a new bridge in Ottawa and damn near a year and half (by the time this is done) for a simple overpass here.

[CanadianTalk]

Dingman Drive widening will take place next year. There will be a pre-recorded presentation (with drawings, etc) available on the website on November 16th.

https://getinvolved.london.ca/dingmandrive

Would have been nice if they did it this year since the road has been closed due to the bridge replacement over the 401........ oh well

[CanadianTalk]

Presentation (and slides) are posted on the project website linked above.

Here are the renderings. Dingman will look very different than what it is now. It will be 4 lanes wide with a centre median, have left/right turn lanes at intersections, and have a wide multi-use path on both sides of the road.

Also new traffic signals at Roxburgh and the east Costco access road.

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Dingman from Hwy 401 to just west of Roxburgh Rd



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Dingman from Roxburgh to the signalized east Costco access intersection



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Dingman from east Costco access to Wellington Rd