Cabana Road to get $46M overhaul, including bike lanes

Cabana Road will get sidewalks, bike lanes and be widened to four lanes from Huron Church Road to Provincial Road at a cost of $46 million over the next eight years.

City council decided Monday to embark on a much more extensive construction project for the south-end artery.

It decided to reconsider original plans for the road in light of the proposed mega-hospital location, further east on County Road 42.

Ward 1 Councillor Fred Francis said it's time to solve all the traffic problems along Cabana.

"And not just to deal with what we passed a few months ago, with respect to $5 or $6 million on bike lanes, but to deal with it for generations to come," he said. "I don't think it made sense to too many people to put in about $5-$6 million in bike lanes and then rip them out again in about 10 years."

Lori Newton of Bike-Friendly Windsor Essex is happy cyclists are being accommodated in the larger project.

"We know that cycle commuters and recreational cyclists are out there, and the recreational cyclists very often are the ones who often keep their bicycles in their garage because they're afraid to go out on the roads. Providing an opportunity for local residents to go out and access the streets and be able to ride their bikes is really important," she said.

Jim Evans said he has been living on Cabana Road for more than a decade.

Evans said the traffic has gotten busier over that time and he believes the road needs to be expanded.

"What their plans are, you know which direction they're going to go in. We certainly are not against progress in the city, but once again we're citizens and we want to be treated fairly,"he told CBC News on Tuesday.

Construction will be done in several phases beginning next year.