The Windsor-Essex Parkway is a once-in-a-generation undertaking and the first road project to be delivered using the Province of Ontario's alternative financing and procurement model. The 11 kilometer Parkway comprises the road access portion of the Windsor-Detroit Gateway and is unprecedented in the integration of community enhancement features, ecological restoration and species at risk protection. Directed by The Windsor-Essex Parkway Landscape and Trail Master Plan, the landscape encoompasses 120 hectares of green space, 20 kilometers of multi-use trails, 11 tunnel tops, community connections, and extensive ecological landscapes.
The legacy of the The Windsor-Essex Parkway will be its lasting contribution as a safe and efficient international trade and transportation route within a contiguous and sustainable ecological corridor. Input received from extensive public consultation during both the environmental assessment and detailed design stages has helped to shape the Windsor Essex Parkway Landscape and Trail Plan. The Parkway project includes significant Carolinian landscape restoration that will expand adjacent natural areas, re-instate connections, and create habitat for species at risk. Over time, the green space will evolve into a tall grass prairie and oak savannah dominated ecological landscape that will alow the freeway to become a "Parkway in a Prairie". With the improvements to local roads, artfully designed gateway landscapes, and expansive green space and trail system, residents in Windsor-Essex will enjoy an improved quality of life.
