Windsor celebrates milestone on Cabana Road project
The City of Windsor is celebrating the completion of the third phase of work on Cabana Road West, and gave an update on the fourth phase of the project.
The $26.8-million project to modernize Cabana Road West from Dougall Avenue to Highway 3 as part of Phase 3 and 4 improvements was funded through a capital investment from Windsor City Council and contributions from the federal and provincial governments.
Phase 3 work was completed in December, and involved a full reconstruction of Cabana Road West from Dougall Avenue to Dominion Boulevard. The project doubled the number of lanes from two to four. It also added 1.5 kilometres of new buffered bike lanes in each direction of travel, widened sidewalks on both sides of the street, improved intersections at Dougall and Cabana and Dominion and Cabana, and included watermain upgrades, new storm sewers and rehabilitated sanitary sewers.
“Our vision for transforming Cabana Road into a world-class arterial roadway is now a reality, as more than 60 percent of the east-west corridor has been completely rebuilt and modernized,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. “This massive infrastructure upgrade is delivering results for residents by giving travellers of all modes of transportation full access to a safe, accessible and well-connected route linking the Windsor International Airport on the east with St. Clair College and the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway on the west.”
Phase 4 will extend the Cabana Road improvements further west, from Dominion Boulevard to Highway 3. The full Phase 4 reconstruction to expand the road from two to four lanes; widen sidewalks; build active transportation facilities; and upgrade the watermain, storm sewers, street lighting and traffic signals will begin in the spring of 2023.
The fifth and final phase of the project will rebuild Cabana Road from Sixth Concession to Walker roads, and is expected to begin in 2024.
The first and second phases of the project were completed in 208 and 2019.
“We are finally getting close to reaching the end of the much-anticipated, much-needed improvements to the Cabana Road Corridor,” said Ward 1 Councillor Fred Francis. “Cabana Road West is being transformed into a state-of-the-art road that we can all be proud of. These improvements not only enhance traffic flow and safety for motor vehicle drivers, but also add modern, accessible infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists and public transportation riders that will serve our community well for generations into the future.”
The improvements are part of a $46-million commitment by Windsor Council to fully modernize South Windsor’s only continuous east-west arterial roadway from Walker Road in the east to Highway 3 in the west. Cabana Road receives between 15,000 and 18,000 vehicles daily.
Council approved a progressive capital plan that invests about $1.7 billion in public infrastructure renewal over the next decade. About $510 million is earmarked for roads, including improvements totalling $47 million in 2022.