Windsor-Essex Parkway

[Symz]

Thanks sa230e for posting the pics! Let me be the first to say welcome to the Windsor thread/forum. It's nice to see another new face and get more people talking about what's going on in Windsor.

[haljackey]

Yes thanks for the pics and welcome to the forum!

Originally Posted by sa230e

Some pictures I took last month:

Question about this picture. I edit the Highway 401 article on Wikipedia and we're looking for a picture of the W-E parkway construction. Any interest in releasing the rights of this one? Send me a private message if interested.

Oh and by the way we're hoping to have the article featured on the main page on Canada Day!

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_401_%28Ontario%29


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Good to hear the strike's over and construction is back in full swing.

[sa230e]

Thanks. I've been lurking for a while now. I've been on ontroads and canroads for a few years under the name s_antonel.

[north 42]

Welcome to the forum sa230e, nice to see more Windsorites on here.

[Symz]

source: http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/06...or-new-bridge/

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder have confirmed they will be in Windsor Friday morning to announce plans for the new $1-billion government-backed bridge.

Harper and Snyder will meet with the media shortly after noon where they are scheduled to release plans to build the long-awaited Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) bridge.

They will be joined by federal transport minister Denis Lebel and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray Lahood.

The contingent will then cross the Detroit River for a signing ceremony to be held at the Cobo Centre at 3 p.m. They will be joined during that event by foreign affairs minister John Baird, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. Gary Doer, U.S. ambassador to Canada David Jacobson and other high-profile business leaders.

The announcement culminates nearly 10 years of political wrangling and controversy surrounding the bridge project which was first touted by former Prime Minister Jean Chretien in September, 2002 during a visit to Windsor when he vowed solutions to end gridlock on North America’s busiest trade border crossing within 90 days.

A six-member panel of federal and provincial bureaucrats did come up with solutions to end local border gridlock, but were widely criticized by city residents for their plan to roll trucks through the heart of the city.

That turned the focus to the DRIC study which after several years led to final recommendations for the current downriver site and new border feeder route under the $1.4-billion Windsor-Essex Parkway.

Construction of the new bridge once started will employ “thousands” in both direct and indirect jobs on both sides of the border, according to government officials connected to the project.

Despite the high-profile announcement, it is anticipated to take at least another year for construction on the bridge project to actually start.

Financing has to be secured under what is expected to be a public-private partnership, tenders have to be issued and there is a considerable amount of expropriation still to occur on the Detroit side where a new feeder road connecting to I-75 freeway must be built – similar to the Windsor-Essex Parkway.

The bridge itself will cost roughly $1 billion, while it is anticipated to cost up to another $2 billion for plazas and new feeder roads connected to the crossing that will be located off Brighton Beach on the Canadian side, linking to the community of Delray on the U.S. side, just north of Zug Island.

The announcement also comes 10 days after the 85th birthday of the project’s biggest opponent, Ambassador Bridge billionaire owner Matty Moroun.

Bridge officials did not want to comment Thursday about the pending DRIC bridge construction agreement.

More to come…

Here's a link to the Prime Minister's agenda page showing he'll be in Windsor tomorrow.

http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?ca...eId=47&id=4860

[RoseCityFreePress]

So its officially a road to somewhere now

[north 42]

Originally Posted by RoseCityFreePress

So its officially a road to somewhere now

Yes, thank god it's official finally. Can't wait to see the parkway finished and the bridge spanning the river.

[haljackey]

I have now added sa230e's photo to the Highway 401 Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_Highway_401#Future

Text containing the info on the new border crossing announcement is in development.

[sa230e]

Originally Posted by haljackey

I have now added sa230e's photo to the Highway 401 Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_Highway_401#Future

Text containing the info on the new border crossing announcement is in development.

[sa230e]

Drove down there today. Another diversion is now open to traffic between Howard and Cousineau but it looks like only the westbound lanes so far. Eastbound traffic is still on the original Hwy 3 roadway.

[sa230e]

I shot some video footage of the construction last month and now I finally got it edited an uploaded:

• Video Link

[Symz]

Nice vid, thanks for putting it up. The diversion road you passed in your video is now open, I drove on it last week.

I found a recent article talking about the construction schedule for the next 6 months.

source: http://windsorite.ca/2012/06/border-...xt-six-months/

The project is on track and work on the Windsor-Essex Parkway is moving along steadily.

Over the next six months, a variety of changes will happen to the existing Highway 3 / Huron Church route and the team behind building the Parkway wants you to know what will take place.

-Bridge construction will take place at areas including west of St. Clair College and the completion of the new North Talbot Road bridge

-Diversion roads will open between Labelle Street and Grand Marais and Pulford to Cabana

-The permanent service road for the Parkway will open between Pulford and Grand Marais

-The first stages of the Howard Avenue two-lane roundabout will develop
Utilities such as hydro, sewers and cable will continue to be relocated to their new permanent spots

-The eastbound lanes of EC Row between Ojibway Parkway and Huron Church will be closed for nine months starting this summer, traffic in each direction will be reduced to one lane for this period

-Pile driving will continue along with excavation and the building of the Parkway’s tunnels

For more information on the W-E Parkway, visit their website here.

[sonysnob]

^ That's a fantastic photo. Structure carrying the future Howard Avenue diversion over the new highway I do believe?

Thanks for the updates, this is a cool project.

[haljackey]

Geesh do we live in a desert? That photo makes it look like we do.

Originally Posted by sonysnob

Thanks for the updates, this is a cool project.

I agree. Keep em comin!

[Symz]

Some photos from the Windsor star

source: http://www.windsorstar.com/life/Wind...013/story.html

[sa230e]

Almost a month with no updates! Can't let this thread die so I took a bike ride out to Malden Park and snapped some more construction photos.

WEP @ Matchette Road:


E.C. Row @ Ojibway Pkwy:


Closer view:


E.C.Row / WEP @ Malden Road:


On Spring Garden Rd. Looking towards the E.C. Row / Huron Church Rd. interchange loop ramp where the WEP curves west:



The pictures don't really give a sense of depth but when you're there you really notice the steep drop off into the trench. Would have taken more but unfortunately my batteries died there. More to come. Working on another video.

[rdolishny]

I grew up in Windsor and I'm living in Peterborough. I finally had an opportunity to drive through Windsor this weekend and: WOW!

This is a remarkable project and I'm glad I found this web site to get some of the backstory and ongoing news.

I was particularly pleased to hear we finally have a deal with the new bridge.

I'm studying Project Management and would love to intern on this project (ping me if anyone in the PMO is reading this!!!). There are so many stakeholders and this is just a long-term project involving all levels of government, I think based on what I saw this weekend plus what I've read today, we have a text-book example of how to manage a very large infrastructure project.

I'll be keeping up with the updates on this very informative and well managed forum. Thank you all for your contributions.

[sa230e]

Took some more:

WEP @ Matchette Rd:




From Spring Garden Rd:


Huron Church @ Labelle:




Near Hwy 3 and Howard:

[sa230e]

Huron Church @ Huron Line:


Same location 2 months ago:

[haljackey]

Great photos!

Looks like they're building a canal rather than a highway at this point, what
with the trench and bridges and all.