WINDSOR, ONT. -- More than $100 million of road and sewer work planned for 2020 is moving ahead as planned, with more physical distancing and safety of workers in mind.
While COVID-19 crisis has forced many facets of society to shut down, road work was deemed essential by the province, allowing the city to begin construction season on time.
“Because of traffic is down it allows us to proceed fairly expeditiously on the projects,” says city engineer Mark Winterton.
He says major projects are already humming along on Huron Church Road Between Northwood Street and Malden Road, as well as at the Dougall Avenue underpass, where the tunneled path started in 2019 is nearing completion.
“We’ve been waiting so many years for this walkway and the Dougall underpass to move forward,” says Ward 10 Coun. Jim Morrison. “This is a great time to get things done in the city.”
Winterton says the lack of vehicles commuting is a possible silver lining, with planned construction causing less impact on the travelling public.
“We’re trying to get these jobs done as quickly as possible so when we do resume to normal that the projects won’t be all backed up and causing us problems,” he says.
Winterton says all contractors are responsible for the health and safety of workers, which now includes appropriate physical distancing.
“We’re adapting as necessary to make sure that all of our projects are moving safely, that all workers are doing their jobs safely,” says Winterton.
More work will begin soon, including road rehabilitation on E.C. Row near Central Avenue, as well as a battered stretch of the highway between Dougall Avenue and Dominion Boulevard. Winterton warns the highway projects could result in periodic overnight closures to expedite the projects.
He adds projects that would typically wait until the end of the school year to avoid snarling traffic may even get bumped up the queue. That includes another nagging project, a reconfigured intersection and road reconstruction at Dominion Boulevard and Northwood Street.
“They’re looking at that project right now and if school gets cancelled, they’ll get going before July because it’s going to be a tight time frame to get it done before the summer months,” says Morrison.
