No. H 103/09
For release - July 21, 2009
WINDSOR — The Governments of Canada and Ontario today announced the start of construction of the Howard Avenue / Canadian Pacific grade separation. This project will reduce congestion, improve traffic operations for north-south traffic and create more than 200 direct and indirect jobs in the region.
Coco Paving (1990) Inc., the successful bidder on this $23 million contract, started water main installation, building demolition and construction of detour routes for road and rail traffic.
A detour route west of Howard Avenue between Eugenie Street and the Essex Terminal Railway will keep the roadway open and traffic moving during construction. Community input helped identify the best location for this detour route.
Construction of the bridge and the roadway underpass will take approximately 16 months. Construction of all improvements, including those to Memorial Drive, will be complete by July 2011.
"This project is another example of the Government of Canada's commitment to Windsor and the County of Essex," said Jeff Watson, Member of Parliament for Essex. "The new grade separation will create new jobs during this construction season, improve local traffic operations, and will also complement the new border crossing and our overall gateways strategy."
"Our government recognizes the important role Windsor-Essex plays as Canada's busiest trade corridor and the direct impacts this has on local travellers. When completed, the grade separation will allow traffic to move without being delayed by border-bound trains," said Sandra Pupatello, Ontario Minister of International Trade and Investment, and MPP for Windsor West. "These infrastructure projects are providing jobs now while building foundations for tomorrow, stimulating the economy and attracting future investments in the community making Windsor-Essex and Ontario stronger," added Dwight Duncan, Ontario Minister of Finance and MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh.
This project is being jointly funded by the Governments of Canada and Ontario under the Let's Get Windsor-Essex Moving strategy, a $300-million commitment for several transportation infrastructure projects to improve efficiency and reduce congestion in Windsor-Essex. Funding for this strategy comes from the Canada-Ontario Border Infrastructure Fund.
In addition to the Howard Avenue CPR grade separation project, construction is continuing on the widening of Essex County Road 22 and the widening of Highway 401 between Highway 3 and Manning Road.
For more information on the status of the Let's Get Windsor-Essex Moving strategy, please visit www.ontario.ca/transportation.
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For more information on the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, please visit www.mto.gov.on.ca.
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