An east Windsor residential street will soon get a $4-million facelift.
The City of Windsor announced on Thursday morning that a reconstruction of Eastlawn Avenue between Wyandotte Street East and Edgar Street will begin right after Labour Day. Mayor Drew Dilkens announced the project from the driveway of a resident's home, accompanied by Ward 6 Councillor Jo-Anne Gignac, City Engineer Mark Winterton, and Drainage Superintendent Andrew Dowie.
The project is part of the city's $4.9-billion sewer and coastal flood protection master plan. The location has been chosen as a test site for a new eco-friendly stormwater management system called Silva Cell, which holds off water runoff by using "cells" to divert water to certain trees. These trees absorb the water and help reduce the risk of flooding. The underground system has worked for projects in Toronto and other urban centres.
"The importance of getting these sewer and coastal flood protection master plan projects completed is critical to Riverside and to other areas of the city that have been experiencing flooding as a result of storm and overland flooding," said Gignac. "This project, which is one portion of the overall commitment of Mayor Dilkens and council, moves us one step closer to relief."
Eastlawn Avenue will also get a new asphalt road between Wyandotte Street East and Edgar Road, a new water main, storm and sanitary sewers, and a wider sidewalk for accessibility.
The reconstruction is part of the 44 kilometres worth of work already done to expand stormwater and sanitary sewer systems in the Riverside section, hit hard by excessive flooding following severe rain events in 2016 and 2017.
Construction will begin the week of September 6 and finish by spring 2022.
