As the City of Windsor embarks on another major reconstruction project on the E.C. Row Expressway, the mayor is advocating for the province to upload the costs of maintaining the roadway.
The work gets underway on April 11 and will include a total reconstruction of the eastbound lanes between Dominion and Dougall Avenues. The total budgeted cost for the project is $10 million.
"We've made big commitments to E.C. Row, but moving forward, there needs to be a plan to put equity in the system where people who are using this roadway pay for it accordingly. It's not fair for Windsorites to shoulder all of the costs of the E.C. Row Expressway," said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
He said its time for the province to take care of the costs to maintain this roadway again. The road was built by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation between 1971 and 1983. The province downloaded responsibility for the expressway to the city in 1997.
"It is a major roadway that connects the entire region together, yet the burden of this construction, the cost of this construction falls entirely on the backs of Windsor residents," said Dilkens.
During construction, the eastbound traffic will be shifted to an altered section of the westbound lanes. This will keep traffic moving and increase safety for construction workers.
The Dougall Avenue off-ramp will be closed for the duration of the construction project. It's expected to take 17 weeks to complete.
