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Long-awaited relief is in store for drivers that battle train delays on Adelaide Street, where a $58-million underpass got the green light from city council to help vehicles and bikes skirt the blockages that back up traffic for more than two hours a day altogether.

Council threw its weight behind the project this term, speeding up the timeline by more than a decade in hopes of easing headaches for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists held up behind the CP rail line when trains cross Adelaide Street near Central.

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Politicians billed the project as a “city-building” venture at Tuesday night’s council meeting, with deputy Mayor Paul Hubert slapping back at municipal election candidates who have promised to make the underpass a priority.

“Some out there may be saying they can do it faster. This council has done it faster,” he said. “The fact that this has been moved ahead 10 years cannot be lost on the public.”

The underpass on Adelaide Street — which is expected to be constructed beginning in 2021 — will skirt the CP rail line just north of Central Avenue, where trains regularly stop traffic for more than 100 minutes every day. It’s also expected to ease congestion that may be caused by the future bus rapid transit network.

Other conflict points with CP rail lines, and with the CN rail lines further south, are crying out for the same treatment, but the hefty price tag to reroute traffic means there’s a long waiting list.

CP is expected to pick up 15 per cent of the total $58.3-million cost for the Adelaide Street underpass. The roadwork itself is estimated to cost $10.8 million, with the rail structure pegged at $9.8 million. Sewer work, utility relocation, property acquisition and a number of other costs make up the remainder.

Coun. Tanya Park and Coun. Jesse Helmer, whose wards border Adelaide Street, both lauded the design of the proposed underpass, noting nearby residents were initially concerned about how the structure would look.

“Everyone going north-south just wants to make sure it’s done as soon as possible. The people in the neighbourhood want to make sure it’s done well,” Helmer said.