Lesperance Road crossing to get $2.1M in upgrades
The Town of Tecumseh and the federal government are spending about $2.1 million on street improvements and upgrades to a rail crossing on Lesperance Road.
“Our community understands the importance of making our railroads as safe as possible, and we remember the tragic accidents that have impacted families in Tecumseh and Windsor,” said Windsor-tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk. “This important investment from our federal government and the town will help make one of the busiest and most important rail crossings in Tecumseh safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.”
Kusmierczyk and Tecumseh Mayor Gary Mcnamara announced the plans Thursday.
The federal government is investing $1,027,200 on the project. Tecumseh's share will be $1,105,000.
The town said detailed designs of the improvements to the Lesperance Road rail crossing, between Tecumseh Road and First Street, are already in the works.
Tecumseh is also in the process of securing properties and easements required to make the crossing improvements and connect them to the intersection of Lesperance and Tecumseh roads.
Construction will likely start in mid-august after advance work by VIA Rail is complete. The construction is expected to take 10 weeks and will require traffic detours.
The project will involve bringing the gradient of the crossing approach up to current safety standards. VIA Rail informed the town after an inspection in 2014 that the approach to the crossing is too steep.
Beautifying downtown Tecumseh is also part of the plan, with trees, furniture, decorative street lighting and pavement to be added along the west side of Lesperance from the rail crossing to First Street.
“We recognize the crossing on Lesperance is a vital north-south transportation link in the town and are extremely pleased that Transport Canada has approved funding to improve the safety and functioning of the crossing,” said Mcnamara. “The project also provides an opportunity to implement a small segment of the Tecumseh Road CIP Streetscaping Project to showcase the planned improvements in our downtown area.”