A major construction project will be taking place along a busy uptown Saint John street this year.

Council has awarded a nearly $2-million contract for work along Sydney Street between St. James Street and Queen Square North.

Work will include replacing the existing water main and sanitary sewer, installing a new storm sewer for separation, full street reconstruction, and new sidewalks.

As part of the work, a two-metre-wide bike lane will be installed along the east side of the street, and on-street parking will be moved to the west side.

Curb extensions will be installed on the west side of Sydney Street at each of the intersections between St. James Street and Queen Square North to improve pedestrian safety.

“This is achieved by moving the crossing point away from the curb, and from any parked vehicles, to a location that is more in line with the motorist’s field of vision,” said a staff report.

“The curb extensions will also enhance safety through the traffic calming which results from the reduced street cross-section (asphalt width) at the intersections.”

A new enhanced stop sign will be installed at the southeast corner of the Sydney Street/St. James Street intersection. It will feature solar-powered flashing LED lights to improve the visibility of the stop sign.

Gradd medians and street trees will also be installed as part of the work to provide greenspace between the road and the sidewalk.

The project is expected to begin in mid-April and continue into September.