The Ontario government has officially announced $50-million to help build a new interchange at Banwell Road and E.C. Row Expressway in Windsor.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria, and Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy were in Essex Monday to make the announcement.
The busy commuter route linking Windsor with Tecumseh and Lakeshore is expected to get even busier once the Next Star Energy electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant opens right near the intersection, employing 2,500 workers.
Ford says this new interchange will serve as a critical link to the electric vehicle battery plant.
"The project will better connect communities in Windsor-Essex, cut down on commute times, attract more investments, and create more good paying jobs. We're building the infrastructure that Windsor-Essex needs to reach its full potential," he says.
Windsor-Tecumseh Conservative MPP Andrew Dowie told AM800's The Dan McDonald Show that anyone who travels the E.C. Row and goes through that intersection, knows that the level of service is failing.
"We need a more functioning intersection and interchange there to support out economy," he says, "We have a lot of trucks going up and down to connect to the plants, to all the plants. The feeders, Stellantis and Ford, the assembly plants."
The city is accelerating the design process for the project, which is already underway.
Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria says this is a project they want to get started immediately.
"Today is another example of us being able to expedite timelines and work with great partners like Mayor Dilkens and his team, the city has been incredible to work with, their engineering team, the team at the MTO and government, have a great working relationship," he says. "I have no doubt we'll be getting our shovels in the ground very, very soon on this as well."
As part of Windsor's 2024 Budget, the city allocated nearly $8.5-million over the next two years to move preparation work forward on an interchange at Banwell Road and the E.C. Row Expressway, currently the only intersection along the expressway without an interchange or an overpass.
With files from Rob Hindi