Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Windsor will spend $10 million to rebuild one of the oldest and busiest sections of E.C. Row Expressway with a number of infrastructure projects that will improve road safety.
This project is the biggest investment by Windsor City Council toward reconstruction of the E.C. Row Expressway since the city took over ownership of the freeway from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation in 1997.
“I made a commitment to transform E.C. Row into a modern, world-class roadway, and this project will help our community significantly by bringing us closer to that goal,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
“Fixing Windsor’s roads continues to be a top priority. Strong infrastructure helps create the conditions for economic success in the long-term while creating construction jobs in the short-term.”
The first stage of the E.C. Row Expressway project began in August and includes reconstructing the westbound lanes between Dougall Avenue and Dominion Boulevard. Site preparation to reinforce the shoulders and build a crossover to transfer westbound traffic to the eastbound lanes was completed on August 28.
Work on the westbound lanes is underway to remove four layers of the original 49-year-old road, including the cracked pavement, concrete, stone and subbase. Once filled and topped with new asphalt later this fall, the upgraded roadway will serve us for many more years to come.
Stage 2 will undertake the same list of improvements to fully rebuild the eastbound lanes and will begin in the summer of 2021.
In 2020, city council approved nearly $44 million for upgrades throughout our community – up from $25.2 million dollars in 2019. This road work is designed to improve traffic flow, enhance safety and lower commuting times.
The 15.4-kilometre road, named after a former president of Chrysler Canada was built by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation between 1971 and 1983. At peak commuting times, up to 75,000 vehicles travel through E.C. Row Expressway in each direction.