Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Windsor is set is launching Phase 3 of the Lauzon Parkway sewer and road rehabilitation project this week, investing $18 million over the next 24 months. This significant infrastructure project will substantially rebuild Lauzon Parkway, one of Windsor’s most heavily trafficked roads, which sees approximately 30,000 vehicles, including heavy trucks, daily.
Construction is scheduled to begin this week and is expected to be completed by December 2024, weather permitting. Boulevard restoration and infill concrete medians are planned for completion by July 2025.
Phase 3, managed by J&J Lepera Infrastructures Inc., will focus on Lauzon Parkway from Hawthorne Drive to Cantelon Drive. Key components of this phase include new storm and sanitary sewers, upgraded watermains at the Hawthorne Drive and Cantelon Drive intersections, additional stormwater storage in underground pipes, and new pavement, sidewalks and a multi-use trail covering about 600 linear metres. All businesses will remain open during construction, but lane reductions will occur in both directions.
“We are continuing the transformation of Lauzon Parkway into one of our city’s premier motor vehicle and active transportation corridors with the launch of the third phase of this vital infrastructure project,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. “Without question, this is one of Windsor’s most important roads and part of the province’s main economic corridor.
“With large-scale infrastructure projects fuelling incredible economic and population growth, city council is committed to investing in growth and fixing and rebuilding our roads and sewers to improve the quality, safety and durability of our transportation infrastructure as we focus on building Windsor’s future.”
Phase 3 is part of a multi-phase initiative that began in 2021, spurred by funding from the city’s asset management plan. Phase 1 saw a $2.6-million investment to rebuild the north and southbound lanes from Tecumseh Road East to Hawthorne Drive. Phase 2, costing $5.5 million, rebuilt the lanes from the E.C. Row Expressway to Cantelon Drive. Each phase has included lane reconstruction, road widening, installation of drainage layers, rebuilding the multi-use asphalt trail on the east side and replacing the concrete sidewalk on the west side.
“Lauzon Parkway is one of the busiest roads in Ward 8,” said Councillor Gary Kaschak, Ward 8. “It provides a key link to the E.C. Row Expressway from Tecumseh Road, Wyandotte Street and Riverside Drive. I am proud of city council’s continued commitment to fast-tracking this project to rebuild Lauzon Parkway to make it safer and more reliable, above and below ground, for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Progress during the first two phases has made a big difference in this corridor, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact from this latest round of upgrades.”
In 2024, 57 per cent of Windsor’s capital budget is dedicated to roads and sewers, with $56.1 million allocated for roads and $61.4 million for sewer upgrades. The city’s 10-year capital plan, part of the 2024 budget, will invest $568.8 million in roads and $470.6 million in sewer improvements.
This project is also part of Windsor’s $5-billion sewer and coastal flood protection master plan, which allocates $180 million for underground infrastructure across 36 sewer construction projects. This plan aims to enhance sewer system efficiency and reduce flood risks from precipitation and extreme weather events, covering nearly 30 kilometres of sewer length.