Windsor's Mayor said with 30,000 vehicles driving down Lauzon Parkway every day, rehabilitative work over the past three years would extend the life of the road another 50 years.
Dilkens was happy to announce significant progress on the $18-million project as the third phase continues.
The first two phases fixed the road in the north and southbound lanes between Tecumseh Road East to Hawthorne Drive, while the second phase focused on the stretch from Cantelon Drive to the E.C. Row Expressway.
New sanitary sewers, new stormwater storage in underground pipes, upgrades to the water main, and the southbound lanes between Hawthorne and Cantelon will wrap up for the winter on Thursday. The work will continue in the northbound lanes, and a multi-use trail will pick up again early next year, and the project should be complete in July 2025.
During the hiatus, the left-hand turning lane from the northbound lanes to the plazas will remain closed. Drivers can access those businesses from Cantelon Drive or the southbound lanes.
"The ability to reopen the road this winter is the direct result of the incredible work undertaken in this vital infrastructure project over the last three years," said Dilkens. "This year's Ontario budget recognized the importance of building a new interchange connecting Hwy. 401 to Lauzon Parkway to support increased opportunities for trade and better access to the Windsor-Detroit border."
The proposed Lauzon Parkway extension is near key infrastructure projects, including the future Windsor-Essex Acute Care Hospital on County Road 42, Windsor International Airport, and the NextStar Energy Electric Vehicle Battery Plant on Banwell Road.
The project started in 2021 after the city council fast-tracked it through its City Asset Management Plan. It's also part of the city's $5-billion Sewer and Coastal Flood Protection Master Plan, which invests $180-million in underground infrastructure throughout Windsor.