Council approves CWATS road projects promoting active living

Essex County, ON – Essex County council approved road construction projects worth more than $3.6 million Wednesday night as part of the ongoing effort to create a vibrant network of connected pathways and trails for cyclists and pedestrians.

The projects are part of the County Wide Active Transportation System program, which envisions a network stretching nearly 800 km, linking corridors in county municipalities to trail systems in Windsor and Chatham-Kent.

The first project will create 3.2 km of pathways along both sides of County Road 20 east of County Road 31 in Leamington. The contract was awarded to low bidder Pierascenzi Construction Ltd. for $2,678,075 plus H.S.T. As is standard for CWATS projects, the costs will be shared, with Leamington paying 60 per cent and Essex County 40 per cent.

The second project will create 2.9 km of paved shoulders along both sides of two sections of County Road 50 in Kingsville and Essex. The contract was awarded to low bidder Rudak Excavating Inc. for $981,990. Under the CWATS cost share formula, the county will cover 40 per cent and the respective towns will cover the remainder.

The CWATS program calls for developing bikeways and pathways throughout the region with the goal of creating a vibrant, user-friendly active transportation network that will promote healthy lifestyles and enable residents and tourists to “Walk, Ride, County Wide.”

For a list of projects proposed for 2018, visit: http://www.cwats.ca/en/news-and-events/Current-Projects.asp. For more information on the CWATS program, visit www.cwats.ca or follow them on Facebook or on Twitter @getactiveCWATS.