A construction project begins Monday morning that's going to have a big impact on traffic along a major route in Tecumseh.
Construction for the Lesperance Road and VIA Rail Crossing Improvements will last between April 3 and extend into the end of May, weather permitting.
Tecumseh mayor Gary McNamara says Lesperance Road will be closed from Tecumseh Road to First Street with traffic detoured along McNorton Street and Tecumseh Road to Lacasse Boulevard and Banwell Road.
"We're trying to encourage all of the truck traffic and bus routes to take the McNorton corridor. Going from Lacasse Boulevard to St. Denis, it's really narrow and some tight turns in that area," she says.
In 2014, VIA Rail informed the Town that an inspection revealed the rail crossing on Lesperance, near the intersection with Tecumseh Road East, is too steep.
McNamara says Transport Canada has rail crossing guidelines but the crossing on Lesperance does not meet the guidelines.
"Tractor trailers, when you see them going over the hump, they've actually bottomed out on the stanchions, on the trailers. It is a dangerous feature that was identified by Transport Canada and we're going to eliminate that," he says.
A map detailing a detour around construction work at the rail crossing on Lesperance Road near Tecumseh Road in Tecumseh. (Photo courtesy of the Town of Tecumseh)
The $2.1-million project is being split by the federal government and the town, with the town paying over $1.1-million for streetscaping improvements at the same time the rail work is going on between Tecumseh Road and First Street.
The phase one of streetscaping will include the addition of trees, furniture, and decorative street lighting and pavement as set out in the Tecumseh Road Main Street Community Improvement Plan (CIP) Streetscaping Project.
McNamara says in order to move the work along quickly, a full road closure is needed.
"If we didn't do that, if we didn't close that road then, we'd be in construction probably an additional six to eight weeks beyond what we think the completion date would take place," he adds.
Once a portion of the work is complete during this phase of the project, the road will move to a partial closure with the work expected to be substantially completed by the end of 2023.
The Town of Tecumseh has retained Dillon Consulting Limited to serve as their representatives during the construction of this project. Rudak Excavating Inc. will be the general contractor for the construction works.