A major traffic disruption in south Windsor is set to begin today. City crews will start work on a significant construction project near Devonshire Mall on Howard Avenue, which will see a portion closed to traffic for infrastructure upgrades. The closure will be in place until further notice, according to Amico Adaptive Synergies. Howard Avenue will be completely closed with no access from Kenilworth Drive to South Cameron Boulevard. More closures will also be coming up, with at least a 48-hour notice before those take place.

A Long-Standing Issue

The intersection is where Howard Avenue, Division Road and South Cameron Boulevard meet near the railway tracks and has been a point of complaint from residents for quite a while according to officials. The project has a price tag of $18 million according to the City of Windsor, and will eventually see the intersection sealed off and moved southeast to Sydney Avenue. Ward 9 councillor Kieran McKenzie says it's arguably in anyone's top five of the worst intersections in Windsor. "There's going to be some short term pain, there's no doubt about that. Especially for residents in the south part of Windsor that are trying to get to Devonshire Mall for example, but this is long term permanent gain that will happen once the project is completed in early spring 2025," he said.

Safety Improvements and Infrastructure Upgrades

McKenzie says they're going to dramatically improve the safety at that intersection. "This is an issue I've been raising since even prior to being elected, to be honest. It'll improve also all of the infrastructure in the area not just for motorized vehicular traffic, it's going to be safer for pedestrians and cyclists as well. So I'm really excited about those additional components and it's also going to make it safer for those folks in the Kenilworth subdivision that are immediately adjacent." He says the short term pain for long term gain will benefit nearby residents. "Because there are a number of people that use Kenilworth Drive as a way to avoid that intersection at Howard and South Cameron. There will be no need to do that anymore once this work is completed, so the neighbourhood benefits tremendously from this project," McKenzie said.

Upcoming Closures and Timeline

Amico Adaptive Synergies also advised of related upcoming closures of Kenilworth and South Cameron: Kenilworth Drive will be closed at Howard Avenue from August 29 until September 4, and again from September 12 to September 15, while South Cameron will see a full closure from September 12 to September 15. While the project is expected to bring long-term benefits to the area, residents and commuters should brace themselves for several months of traffic disruptions. The intersection is expected to be fully operational by early spring 2025, when the new intersection at Sydney Avenue will be ready. The project is a major undertaking for the City of Windsor, and residents and commuters should expect to see significant changes in the coming months. However, once the project is complete, the area will benefit from a safer and more efficient intersection, along with improved infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists.