2 decades in the making, Bradley Avenue extension to support south London growth

Almost 20 years after it was first envisioned, the City of London is moving ahead with plans to extend Bradley Avenue in south London to serve as a key artery supporting the area's rapid development. 

The project, which is expected to start in the spring, will fill a 1.4-kilometre gap along Bradley Avenue from where it currently comes to T-intersection at Wharncliffe Road South.

The project will extend Bradley as a four-lane road over an existing green space, connecting it where the road resumes at White Oaks Road. The project will also widen the section of Bradley between White Oaks Road and Jalna Boulevard, upgrading that section from two vehicle lanes to four. 

Ward 12 Coun. Elizabeth Peloza said the upgrade is badly needed as south London continues to face surging traffic, growth pressure and high demand for new housing. 

"Right now it's a gap in the infrastructure," said Peloza, who's been hearing about the need for the road extension since she was first elected in 2018. "The neighbourhood has a lot of cut-through traffic as people try to get around and beat some lights." 

The 45-metre wide right-of-way will include new lighting, drainage improvements, sidewalks and bicycle lanes on both sides of the road. The bike lanes will be separated from vehicle traffic by a wide landscaped boulevard.  

The project was originally pegged at just under $12 million. Council approved an increase in the cost to almost $20 million in 2022. According to a city report, the rise in cost was due to supply shortages coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic that dramatically drove up the price of most large engineering projects. 

Underwriting growth

The Bradley Avenue extension  will serve an area already full of signs that notify the passersby about new development applications. 

Once such application, for 1350 Wharncliffe Rd. S., will turn the former nine-acre Weldwood Farm into a multi-unit residential development. It will be located right where Bradley Avenue will be extended east from Wharncliffe. 

Jerzy Smolarek is a planner with Si-Vik Planning and Design, the group representing the owner of 1350 Wharncliffe Rd. S. 

"It's a high-exposure block. It's going to be the intersection of two major arterial roads," said Smolarek. He said the subdivision already has draft approval from the city, along with the necessary zoning changes. 

Although the subdivision access will come from an extension of nearby Southbridge Avenue, Smolarek said the Bradley extension will help support the area's growth. 

"There are not very many streets that are major roads that cross the city from east to west," said Smolarek. "It offers opportunity for more multi-family and high-rise development." 

Smolarek said the project will include 80 new residential units as part of a medium-density, multi-unit building. There will also be 11 townhouses along with a yet-to-be decided number of lots for single-family homes. The plan will preserve the existing farmhouse on the property, which is listed on the city's heritage registry. 

City planners have called for a fully extended Bradley Avenue since the city's last mobility plan was updated back in 2013. That plan includes extending Bradley over another existing gap between Wonderland and Bostwick Roads. 

The timing of that extension will be determined through the Mobility Master Plan, which is expected to be released early in the New Year.