Windsor councillor asks for patience amid University Avenue construction

CTV News

2 days ago

A Windsor city councillor is asking residents and businesses owners to be patient as major construction continues on University Avenue.
Ward 3 Coun. Renaldo Agostino says he understands it's frustrating as the work continues, but it is work that needs to be done.
University Avenue West is under construction between McEwan Avenue and Salter Avenue — the project started in mid-March.
The work includes road reconstruction, streetscaping, boulevards, wider sidewalks, more canopy coverage, bike lanes and underground sewer work.
Due to the construction, on-street parking and bicycle lanes are not available - something that is causing frustration among businesses.
While majority of the construction lies within Ward 2, Agostino says part of it is within his ward as well.
He says the finished product will be worth it.
'It's one of those things just like doing a project at home in your backyard, it sucks to wake up every morning and see the job unfinished, but once it does finish you're satisfied. It's going to take time, and we're going to try our best to mitigate the issues that come with the construction, but, you want nice roads, they've got to get done properly.'
He acknowledges that some businesses are hurting.
'We try and do whatever we can to accommodate them, and open up some street parking, and move some giant piles of rocks and dirt to be able to have access to their parking lots. So we're trying to do this as best we can. We've got great people on the job out there, and it's just going to take some time and some patience.'
Agostino goes on to say he understands gets the work is frustrating.
'Just like driving down Howard [Avenue], you get all upset, you go like 'who chose to do this at this time of year, what's going on here?', but listen, this is what it takes, this is part of growth, this is part of having a nice city, and it's just going to take some time. Believe me, you don't have to be somewhere that fast, so sometimes it's nice to slow down and enjoy the view around you.'
This work will be ongoing until December 2025. Some additional work is expected to continue in 2026.
Once completed, the street will be Windsor's first complete street and will offer the best mode of transportation for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
— Meagan Delaurier/AM800 News, Rob Hindi/AM800 News