May 7, 2008

WINDSOR CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION

Jim Lyons, executive director of the Windsor Construction Association, gave an interview last week as plans for the access link to the Windsor border crossing were unveiled.

Lyons says criticism of Windsor-Essex Parkway misses the point

Windsor Construction Association head claims construction timing “could not be better”

VINCE VERSACE

staff writer

Criticism of the recently unveiled Windsor-Essex Parkway plan misses the point — that this new transportation link addresses a critical need, says the Windsor Construction Association (WCA).

“Quite honestly, the timing for this area and the local manufacturing industry could not be any better — they want a solution tomorrow because of the pressures they are facing,” explains Jim Lyons, executive director, WCA.

The Detroit River International Crossing Group (DRIC) says the parkway plan it unveiled on May 1, 2008 is the preferred option from a technical and environmental aspect.

However, GreenLink Windsor argues that the DRIC does not do enough to address the problem of truck traffic through the neighbouring communities. GreenLink had proposed that about 3,380 metres of the route be tunnelled, to prevent the roadway from becoming a barrier between communities and to protect residents from noise and vehicle emissions. The DRIC plan calls for 1,880 metres of tunnel.

“We have been waiting for so long in this area to have a link from a 400-series highway to the border,” says Lyons. “We have felt abandoned here and this is a major investment at $1.6 billion for Windsor-Essex.”

The five-year construction plan to build the parkway is expected to create about 12,000 construction-related jobs, two-thirds of them in Windsor.

The plan still must pass an environmental assessment before final approval. Lyons says when rumours began to swirl about the parkway announcement his phone started to ring because of job seekers.

“Local guys who have been laid off were calling me to ask how they can get into our industry and on this (parkway) job,” says Lyons.

The $1.6 billion access road linking Highway 401 with a new international bridge, whose location is yet to be determined, is considered the most significant highway investment in Ontario’s history at a cost of $168 million per kilometre.

The new highway will include six lanes, below grade truck traffic with 11 tunnels and service roads. There are no traffic signals and the parkway is designed to reduce noise and keep truck traffic out of sight.

The parkway will also create 240 acres of parkland and 20 kms of recreational trails. Highway 401 currently stops about 12 kilometres short of the border with Detroit, forcing trucks onto city streets and slowing down international trade.

WCA members will also benefit from work generated in preparation for the project, says Lyons.

“Some homes and businesses will have to relocate and that means work for us as well,” says Lyons.

For more about DRIC’s position on the differences between the two plans, go the the Windsor-Essex Parkway’s web site.

Follow this link for a side-by-side comparison of the DRIC and GreenLink plans.

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