Windsor-Essex Parkway

[Symz]

Photo update by me:

All or most of the property required for this project has already been expropriated and they are in the early stages still demolishing remaining homes and clear cutting whatever trees are also in the way. You'll see some photos where the snake fence is up. This fence is up to help protect the Eastern Fox Snake and the Butler’s Garter Snake, both are protected species.

We took some photos driving boths ways of the route.





See the black snake fencing.











The Talbot Road bridge has already been knocked down here.


There it is.







They are also building the large roundabout for Howard Avenue but I didn't end up getting close to it.

Here's some of the congestion the new DRIC project is steering 401 traffic away from. This is not part of the WE Parkway plan

[Symz]

I found a time lapse video of the demolition of the North Talbot Road bridge that they took down on the Labour Day weekend. Pretty cool to watch.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZxFC...er_profilepage" target="_blank">Video Link

[Calebb]

Cant find any recent pics of construction on the WE Parkway website. I imagine its stil in the early phases though

[Symz]

Ya, it's still very early stages. I think they're building the new Howard roundabout that you see in one of the pictures but I haven't been able to get out to it yet.

[go_leafs_go02]

Well, the bridge is dead....for now.

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2.../18856061.html

How retarded is that.

[Symz]

Originally Posted by go_leafs_go02

Well, the bridge is dead....for now.

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2.../18856061.html

How retarded is that.

It's called crooked Republican politician's that accept money from the Maroun family. He buys his votes. There are soo many people in the Detroit region and the Windsor region that could use the work a huge bi-national project like a bridge would bring. The Ambassador bridge was completed in 1927. How much longer does everyone think it's going to last? Just drive over the damn thing, or take a walk near the underside and you can see how much it is decaying and yet it carries the amount of goods roughly equal to the Peace bridge in Niagara Falls and the Bluewater bridge in Sarnia combined.

It's time for a new bridge.

[north 42]

This process in Michigan is so F'd up, they really should reform their government so that votes can't be bought by special interests trying to influence votes. No wonder Michigan is such a basket case!

[Blitz]

Washington should just overrule the state and put an end to this idiocy.

[Symz]

Originally Posted by Blitz

Washington should just overrule the state and put an end to this idiocy.

I agree Blitz. Politics in Michigan are a joke, it's like watching a damned circus.

[haljackey]

Just build the dam bridge... and include a lower deck for future high-speed rail/bullet train connections.

[Calebb]

The WE Parkway won't be completed for another 2-3 years. Still lots of time to get the bridge plans together.

[Symz]

Looks like they are getting ready to work on the Howard Avenue diversion & roundabout.

Photos courtesy http://www.windsorite.ca

[Symz]

A new article about the bridge being voted down in Michigan.



http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windso...ts-bridge.html

The Conservative Federal Government remains committed to constructing a new international crossing in Windsor.

Ottawa is disappointed a Michigan senate committee failed last week to approve construction of a new bridge between Detroit and Windsor. But Essex Conservative MP Jeff Watson says his government is undeterred.

'Our offer of $550 million still stands.'
— Jeff Watson, Essex Conservative MP
"For now, we continue to take a wait-and-see approach. You know, our role isn't to intervene in U.S. politics, but to make ourselves ready and able to answer the questions that we need to," Watson said. "Obviously, our offer of $550 million still stands and the ability to answer all the technical questions."

Canada made the cash offer in 2010. The money will help cover the costs for Michigan to get started with the project, including an interchange with Interstate 75, the toll plaza and buying up land needed to build the U.S. Customs plaza.

Michigan's economic development committee voted down a bill last week that would have paved the way for a new crossing. Five Republicans voted 3-2 against the bill Thursday. Democrats on the committee abstained from voting.

Debate could be dead for a while
Senator Mike Kowall said after the vote there just isn't enough traffic to justify the construction of a new international bridge.

Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville told the Detroit News last week that it will be next year and possibly later before the state legislature is ready to tackle another bill on a proposed bridge.

"Obviously, it's not the result we would like to see. However, I don't think that this is necessarily a major setback," Watson said. "Obviously there's work yet to be done still inside of the Michigan legislature on this. I know that there are likely other options that exist."

Michigan governor Rick Snyder says he remains committed to getting the bridge approved by the legislature.

Snyder and Canadian Transport Minister Denis Lebel are to meet in Ottawa in the new few weeks.

[north 42]

No wonder Michigan is such a basket case! To vote down an investment like this, that is meant to strenghen trade and modernize infrastructure, is just pure crooked politics at it's worst!

[Symz]

Originally Posted by north 42

No wonder Michigan is such a basket case! To vote down an investment like this, that is meant to strenghen trade and modernize infrastructure, is just pure crooked politics at it's worst!

Lord knows Detroit could use the jobs (let alone Windsor).

[Calebb]

I'm gonna drive down to Windsor this weekend. The WE Parkway hasn't had any updates in a long time. What can I expect to see construction wise?

[north 42]

I don't think that there's been much construction yet, just some overpasses and temporary roads being put in. I just drove down Huron Church Rd recently for the first time in a while, and it's so strange to see everything alongside it completely gone. You almost can't recognize where you are on it with all the landmarks gone.

[north 42]

Originally Posted by Calebb

I'm gonna drive down to Windsor this weekend. The WE Parkway hasn't had any updates in a long time. What can I expect to see construction wise?

Where are you driving down from?

[Symz]

I haven't had much time to go down there. There are not alot of great vantage points so to speak to really see what's going on. The last time I was down there they were razing houses and trees and relocating utilities and stuff. I imagine there's alot of stuff.

I'm pretty sure they're already working on the roundabout for Howard. They are building the newly relocated subdivision as well. I think I read recently that they are also starting to do the digging of the main trench that some of the highway will be sitting in.

[Symz]

The Windsor Star has posted an article today with a whole bunch of aerial shots of the WE-Parkway progress.

http://www.windsorstar.com/Photos+Pa...784/story.html

I will include some of the pictures, but if follow the link if you'd like to see the whole bunch.

The clearcutting of lots of trees along the back side of Ojibway park. The WE-Parkway will run parallel to EC Row expressway along this stretch as it approaches the potential site of the new bridge.



Subdivisions and portions of have been razed and relocated.


They are building the bridges offsite, but nearby.




Houses are gone along Huron Church


Looking towards the proposed location of the future bridge crossing


Looking South along Huron Church Rd, above the EC Row & Huron church interchange. The WE-Parkway road will curve to the lower right (looking at this pic)



More houses being torn down.


Look at some of the trees piled up



More houses gone.


Huron Church & Labelle intersection