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The Ontario government pledged Friday to spend nearly $19 million for road projects to ease traffic congestion and make way for more housing on Windsor’s east side.
“We understand that Ontarians need access to safe, affordable housing and they need it now,” said MPP Andrew Dowie (PC — Windsor-Tecumseh). “I can’t imagine what it’s like trying to be a young person today who is trying to make a world of their own happen, one that is unique to their identity. They have no options in front of them right now. That can’t stand. We need to take action as a government, and that’s what investments like these will do.”
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Dowie made the announcement Friday at Windsor’s city hall with Mayor Drew Dilkens.
Dowie, calling it a “game changer,” said the $18.8 million will help facilitate the construction of more than 3,000 new homes in Windsor by improving infrastructure and roads.
The city will use the money to extend Wyandotte Street East, widen Banwell Road, and upgrade the intersection at Banwell and McNorton Street. The city’s share of the work is $24 million, which is already budgeted.
“To be able to get $19 million in funding through this program that helps unlock the possibility of 3,030 new units in the city of Windsor is absolutely dramatic and it’s remarkable,” said Dilkens. “It is not possible for us to do this work in the context of our capital budget alone. We need support.”
He said the improvements will smooth the path for developments including high-rises around McNorton and Banwell. The Banwell work is also aimed at accommodating an influx of traffic with the NextStar Energy Plant.
Dilkens said the Banwell corridor currently handles an average of 23,000 vehicles a day.
The city projects that when NextStar is up to full speed, traffic will increase to 25,700 vehicles a day north of the Banwell and E.C. Row Expressway interchange, and 24,400 a day south of the interchange.
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The project also includes an extension of Wyandotte Street East, which currently ends at Banwell, across a strip of green space to Jarvis Avenue.
“Think of the area east of that, that is still available for development,” said Dilkens. “It unlocks those areas as well.”
He said the plans are all “shovel-ready.”
“As soon as the weather breaks, we’ll be able to move forward and start making some of the improvements that will help the new homes be built,” he said. “But also help address some of the capacity and road challenges that we see on Banwell, that we hear from residents in those neighbourhoods. We’ve heard you. We’ve applied for the funding.”
The funding comes through a stream of the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program that includes $400 million to help build, repair, and maintain municipal roads, bridges, and culverts to promote housing growth in 60 municipalities.
Dowie said the fund will help with the construction of 160,000 new homes across Ontario.
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Friday’s announcement follows Dowie’s promise in September of $15 million to the Town of Tecumseh for developments on the east side of Banwell Road.
In March, the province also announced $50 million in funding to help Windsor build a new interchange at Banwell and E.C. Row.
“The timelines are pretty aggressive to get this work done,” said Dilkens.
“We need to move. We have a commitment and the work, especially at E.C. Row and Banwell, it’s extensive to build an overpass and to do all the interchanges that are required.”
Dowie said the Ministry of Transportation first identified “traffic pressures” at the intersection in 1983.
The city’s share of that project will be around $35 million.
“All these pieces coming together, you will really see a lot of growth along the Banwell corridor and east of the Banwell corridor,” said Dilkens.
twilhelm@postmedia.com
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