What’s Ahead This Spring
Temperatures are above zero, the snow is melting, and spring has finally sprung which means that asphalt plants will soon reopen for the year. Now it’s time to get back to road building and paving for the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway (the Parkway). Preparatory works through December, January and February have allowed crews to begin the final phase of paving. Drivers will experience a number of closures through April and May as this asphalt work is completed.
As part of the construction staging for the Parkway, a portion of Highway 401 between North Talbot Road Bridge and Labelle Street is expected to open later this spring. This opening will allow for traffic to be shifted from Highway 3 while surface course work is finished. The traffic shift will keep traffic moving around areas being paved. “Surface course” relates to the final layer of asphalt that is placed on the top of the road. Much of Highway 3 will see the surface course laid this spring.
Upcoming road and lane closures anticipated for this paving work include Cabana Road west of Highway 3 and Highway 3 between Grand Marais Road West and Labelle Street. Other closures may also be planned. All closures will be communicated to the public in advance through notifications on Parkway social media and on www.hgparkway.ca. Public notices will be published as appropriate.
Crews will be back to work on Ojibway Parkway. This work includes the construction of aggregate road base and the layers of asphalt. To learn more about how roads are constructed, visit www.youtube.com/hgparkway and view the video on how we build roads.
Other work that continues includes noise wall installation and median barrier construction (see images above).
Work to build the Parkway Trail will begin this spring as well. This work includes paving of the primary and secondary multi-use trails and installation of pedestrian bridges.
We thank everyone for their patience as we work to complete the Parkway this year.
Your Below-Grade Driving Experience
Creating a rhythmic and unique driving experience is central to the design of the Parkway. The Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savannah theme is integrated into all the design elements of the Parkway.
Construction of the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway will make it much easier and better for people to get around and get around. Investments in roads and bridges are part of the government’s development plan for Ontario.
This plan includes investing in people’s talents and skills, the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment for businesses to expand and thrive, and Ontario’s gambling industry’s legal and unfettered development.
According to Herb Grey Parkway Casino experts who specialize in the gambling industry, slot play, and creating a glossary containing basic gambling slang and jargon, this Parkway project will benefit the development of gambling in Ontario, and it will be useful in developing a solid retirement savings plan.
So, the design considers considers the perspectives of drivers on below-grade Highway 401 and at-grade Highway 3, the users of the Parkway Trail and the adjacent residential communities.
For those travelling on the below-grade Highway 401 you will see this theme incorporated into structures like noise barriers, retaining walls, tunnel top barrier walls and bridge barrier walls.
Colour
Visual interest in the noise walls is created by using a combination of solid and textured panels building from the bottom upwards to evoke a pattern that resembles fields of prairie grasslands waving in the wind. To assist in the walls blending into the landscape, a complementary ochre colour scheme is being used.
You will notice the theme continues onto the tunnel top and bridge barrier walls. The detail is designed to resemble the grasses found in a Tallgrass Prairie landscape (see images below).
The retaining walls located adjacent to the below-grade Highway 401 depict groupings of oak tree trunks that are clustered in the grassy landscape (see images below).
While travelling below-grade you will experience all of these roadside landscapes, immersing you in the Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savannah.
People Profile
Meet Some of the Team Ramps
The Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway is creating and supporting jobs across the region and helping to stimulate our local economy. Design and construction of the Parkway is also providing training for people in our community and creating unique partnerships.
Q. What is your name and position?
A. Kelly Stasso, Construction Monitor
Q. Where are you from?
A. Born and raised in Leamington, Ontario.
Q. What type of work are you doing on the Parkway project?
A. I assist in performing construction quality control and quality assurance to verify the materials and methods used in road construction and structures. I have also been helping prepare for the operation and
maintenance term of the project.
Q. How long will you be working on the project?
A. Until project completion.
Q. When people find out that you are working on the Parkway project what do they typically say?
A. They generally have questions about the project progress and upcoming openings.
Q. What has been the most rewarding part of your work on the project so far?
A. Being on the project for over two years now I have been able to see the work progress from the beginning stages to this point of near completion.
Q. Do you have anything else you would like our readers to know about your experience working on this project?
A. As a regular commuter from Leamington, it will be great when the trucks are off Highway 3.
Prescribed Burns
Prescribed burns are planned for this spring in ecological restoration areas in the vicinity of Oakwood Bush and in the former Chappus Street area. Prescribed burns – deliberately set, carefully controlled and closely monitored fires – are the most effective management tool for Tallgrass Prairie maintenance, conservation and restoration. Prescribed burns are carried out on a regular basis in prairie areas throughout Windsor and Essex County. Since 2012, twenty hectares of prairie associated with the Parkway have been burned. Monitoring of our restoration areas have shown fewer invasive species and an increased diversity of species as the positive effects of the burns. The burns are undertaken by a team of experts who assess weather, wind speed and direction, and atmospheric conditions before making a decision to initiate the burn. Nearby neighbours will be notified in advance. There will be no impacts to residents or traffic. Visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/hgparkway to view previous burns and to learn more about tools used in a prescribed burn. More information is also available on www.hgparkway.ca.
KID ZONE
Engineer Your Own Pedestrian Bridge
March is National Engineering Month – Canada’s biggest celebration of engineering and engineering technology. Engineers contributed to the design and construction of the Parkway working on roads, tunnels, bridges, culverts and the development of the seven pedestrian bridges that will be key features of the Parkway Trail. You can see a rendering of a pedestrian bridge below. They will be made of a steel truss and concrete abutment system that can commonly be found throughout the province. TheParkway pedestrian bridges are currently being manufactured right here in Ontario. Now it is your turn. Put on your engineering cap, follow the instructions below and make your own pedestrian bridge.
What you need:
- Gumdrops, gummi candies or mini-marshmallows
- Toothpicks
- Popsicle sticks
- Lego minifigures
Steps:
1 Place two gumdrops with their bases flat on your work surface. Insert one end of a toothpick into the centre of each gumdrop’s side to create a barbell shape. Insert another toothpick in each gumdrop at a 45-degree angle. Insert both bare ends of the toothpicks into another gumdrop to form a complete triangle.
2 Insert a toothpick into one of the base gumdrops of the first triangle at a 45-degree angle, and another toothpick into the side of the top gumdrop. Insert both of the new toothpicks’ bare ends into a new gumdrop; this will create a second inverted triangle. Repeat this process until you have three upright and two inverted triangles that form a trapezoidal shape.
3 Repeat the triangle-making process to create another trapezoidal shape; this will run parallel to the first and give you the second side of your bridge.
4 Connect the two trapezoidal sides of the bridge using a total of seven toothpicks to run across from gumdrop to gumdrop. Look down from an overhead vantage point to check that you have three squares at the base and two squares at the top.
5 Extend the length of the bridge if desired by repeating steps 1 to 4.
6 With your structure resting on your work surface, lay popsicle sticks across the base creating a floor.
7 Your pedestrian bridge is finished. Test its strength by standing Lego minifigures across the span.
For other fun crafts and activities visit www.pinterest.com/hgparkway.
will be busy on the Parkway construction site. Residents and travellers will see loads of activity taking place as the team works to complete this one-of-a-kind project. We want to hear from you. What questions do you have? What work do you find interesting? What new features are you enjoying? What would you like more information on? You can contact the Parkway
team in many ways.
Say Hello…
Website: www.hgparkway.ca
Click on the “Contact Us” tab to send us a message. While on the website, check out the Spotlight section for the latest news and available information and the What’s Happening section for the latest road and lane closures.
Social media:
www.facebook.com/hgparkway
www.linkedin.com
Direct message us, post a question, tweet at us – we respond to all comments sent to us via social media. Don’t forget to use the project hashtag #hgparkway.
Email: [email protected]
A quick email is a great way to be in touch.
Email list:
[email protected]
Join our email list by sending a message to the address above and be kept up-to-date on the latest Parkway news.
Phone: 1-877-937-5929
Give us a call to talk to a Public Liaison Officer.
In person:
Public Liaison Office 2187 Huron Church Road, Suite 340A Windsor, ON N9C 2L8
You can drop by to look at maps and drawings.
Ramps
On the Parkway, connections between Highway 3 and Highway 401 are made via ramps. There are 21 westbound and eastbound on-ramps and off-ramps within the Parkway corridor that connect at-grade Highway 3 to below-grade Highway 401. Off-ramps originate on Highway 401 and travel to Highway 3 or municipal roads. Onramps originate on Highway 3 or on municipal roads and travel to Highway 401. To familiarize yourself with these ramps, visit the “Parkway Overview Map”
WESTBOUND
Westbound Highway 401 on-ramp from northbound Ojibway Parkway
Westbound Highway 401 off-ramp to north/southbound Ojibway Parkway and east/westbound E.C. Row
Expressway Westbound Highway 401 on-ramp from westbound E.C.Row Expressway
Westbound Highway 401 off-ramp to northbound Huron Church Road to Ambassador
Bridge Westbound Highway 401 on-ramp from westbound
Highway 3 east of Pulford Street
Westbound Highway 401 off-ramp to westbound Highway 3
Westbound Highway 401 on-ramp from westbound Highway 3 east of Howard
Westbound Highway 401 off-ramp to southbound County Road 9
EASTBOUND
Eastbound Highway 401 off-ramp to north/southbound Ojibway Parkway
Eastbound Highway 401 on-ramp from northbound Ojibway Parkway/westbound Broadway Street
Eastbound Highway 401 on-ramp from eastbound E.C. Row Expressway
Eastbound Highway 401 on-ramp from eastbound Highway 3 east of Bethlehem Avenue
Eastbound Highway 401 off-ramp to north/southbound Todd Lane/Cabana Road West Eastbound Highway 401 on-ramp from Highway 3
Eastbound Highway 401 off-ramp to eastbound Highway3 east of Huron Church Line
Eastbound Highway 401 on-ramp from eastbound Highway 3 west of Geraedts Drive
Eastbound Highway 401 on-ramp from eastbound Highway 3 west of Howard Avenue
Eastbound Highway 401 off-ramp to southbound County Road 9
Eastbound Highway 401 on-ramp from northbound County Road 9 and Highway 3
March is Engineering Month in Canada and we’re celebrating with a video explaining the different types of engineers who work on the Parkway and what they do. To view this month’s video visit our YouTube channel or scan the QR code on your smartphone.
