21 April 2005

Canada and Ontario Announce Major Steps to Improve the Windsor-Detroit Gateway

The following is excerpted from the news release issued by the Office of the Premier of Ontario on 21 April.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Anne McLellan, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Federal Minister of Transport Jean-C. Lapierre and Ontario Minister of Transportation Harinder Takhar were in Windsor today to announce major steps to improve the movement of goods and people at the Windsor-Detroit Gateway, under Phase 2 of the Let’s Get Windsor-Essex Moving Strategy. …

Specifically, the Governments of Canada and Ontario are committed to providing the necessary resources for preparatory work required to proceed with construction of the following new initiatives. These joint commitments, which total up to $21 million, involve completing:

• Environmental assessment and detailed design for improvements to Highway 3/Talbot Road from Highway 401 to Todd Lane;

• Environmental assessment and detailed design to upgrade and extend Lauzon Parkway, from Highway 401 to E.C. Row;

• Environmental assessment and detailed design to upgrade Manning Road from Highway 401 to County Road 22, including the interchange at Highway 401, in the County of Essex;

• Road infrastructure and signing improvements and, in partnership with the ferry operator, a needs and feasibility study for additional truck ferry services;

• Canada and Ontario will issue an expression of interest, followed by a request for proposals, to select a partner(s) to develop a truck marshalling facility in the Windsor-Essex region; and,

• Community-based strategic rail study to examine the opportunities for rail rationalization and the development of an intermodal facility in the vicinity of Windsor Airport, in partnership with the City of Windsor….

In addition, the Governments of Canada and Ontario are committing total funding of up to $108 million to proceed with detailed design and construction of the following initiatives:

• Widening of Highway 401 from Highway 3 to Manning Road;
• Highway 3 intersection improvements at Outer Drive and Walker Road; and
• Howard Avenue rail/road grade separation upon successful completion of the environmental assessment currently underway as part of Phase 1 of the Let’s Get Windsor-Essex Moving Strategy.

Canada and Ontario are also moving ahead with the implementation of intelligent transportation systems on the approaches to the border crossings, at the borders themselves and along transportation corridors. As part of the Phase 1 agreement, an Action Plan for Intelligent Border Crossing is being prepared and "early-win" projects that will be implemented include:

• Changeable message signs at Highway 401/402 to inform travelers of border traffic conditions at key decision points; and

• Closed circuit cameras on provincial highways and municipal roads to monitor traffic.

As noted in the message to members yesterday, the governments’ concern with capacity
issues on Huron Church Road made it unclear whether the City of Windsor would agree with the recommendations to construct a bypass around Huron Church Road, or expand the EC Row Parkway. These projects were not part of today’s announcement.