‘a catalyst’ — one of windsor's worst roads getting $19.5m facelift
windsor is launching the first phase of a costly and lo...
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'windsor's first complete street' — a section of university avenue west is getting a $19.5-million facelift after city council on this week approved a major road improvement project between salter and mcewan.
dan janisse
/
windsor star
windsor is launching the first phase of a costly and long-planned west-end road upgrade one city councillor believes will ignite big new investment along the long-neglected corridor. city council this week awarded the tender for reconstruction of a section of university avenue from mcewan avenue to salter avenue, a project expected to cost around $19.5 million.
“i regard this as the biggest inner-city infrastructure project that we have before us,” ward 2 coun. fabio costante, who represents the neighbourhood, told reporters after the vote.
“it’s going to a be a catalyst, in my view, to residential development, commercial development and economic development along that stretch.”
“this gives us an opportunity to have windsor’s first complete street.”
university avenue west, which connects the downtown to the university of windsor’s main campus, was one of three windsor roads named in a recent caa worst roads campaign for southwest ontario. the other two were tecumseh road east and lauzon parkway.
although the initial segment to be reconstructed will cost roughly $4 million more than originally estimated, council, without discussion, unanimously agreed on monday to proceed.
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phase 1 of the university avenue project will include boulevards, expanded sidewalks, on-street parking, protected bike lanes on both sides, and a ‘road diet’ that will reduce vehicle lanes from four to two — one in each direction.
a section of university avenue west is shown on tuesday, nov. 26, 2024. the city of windsor approved a major road improvement on the street west of the downtown.
dan janisse
/
windsor star
a road diet, a report to council said, was recommended “to best balance active transportation needs and vehicular movement, given the lower traffic volumes and ample width of the right-of-way in this area.”
also planned are utility relocation, a new storm sewer, a new water main, a relining of the existing sanitary sewer, and new streetlights.
“it’s great that we’re starting the process,” windsor mayor drew dilkens told reporters.
“it’ll be up to, and incumbent upon, future councils to make sure that they continue to allocate money to get that work done. very rarely do we start a street project and not finish it, but there are some that just take longer than others.”
d’amore construction, the lowest bidder, has been awarded the project’s tender.
the lowest construction bid for the project was higher than originally estimated, the report said, “due to ongoing supply chain issues, increased costs of materials, … increased cost of fuel, as well as the additional costs associated with new excess soil management regulations.”
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raising costs further was the discovery that an existing bell duct pipe connection originally designed to stay in place would require “significant redesign and relocation” because of conflicts with the new roadway design — it has a lowered elevation — “that could not otherwise be avoided.”
to improve the entire university avenue west corridor will take three or four phases of construction and will “require a lot of money,” costante said.
the first phase will begin with underground work starting in the next few weeks and will continue into 2026, he said.
“the old adage of short-term pain, long-term gain is going to be real here, without question. but i think that as we see this reconstruction happen, there’s going to be a lot of momentum to want to see it through.”
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