By: Matt Weingarden , Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeshore News Reporter
The Ontario government is investing more than $2.1 million to help the City of Windsor upgrade a key segment of Huron Church Road, part of a broader provincial effort to support infrastructure renewal and economic development.
The $2,181,352 in funding will go toward rehabilitating Huron Church Road from Poole Avenue to Industrial Drive, including traffic signal upgrades at Industrial Drive. The investment is being delivered through the 2025–26 Connecting Links program, which provides financial support to municipalities for maintaining crucial roadways that connect communities and international border crossings.
“This new phase of funding shows our government’s continued commitment to modernizing Huron Church Road — a critical link for travellers and trade,” said Andrew Dowie, MPP for Windsor–Tecumseh. “By protecting Ontario’s infrastructure along the Highway 3 corridor, we’re securing the long-term future of Canada’s busiest border gateway and supporting the prosperity of the Windsor-Essex region.”
Huron Church Road serves as a vital connector to the Ambassador Bridge, the busiest international commercial land border crossing in North America. It also links residents to post-secondary institutions and major commercial areas throughout Windsor.
“A connecting link is not just a road — it’s a critical piece of infrastructure that keeps communities connected and goods moving,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. “Huron Church is a vital link connecting residents to the United States, to our post-secondary schools, and to hundreds of businesses in the area. The road also feeds directly into Canada’s busiest international border crossing, which supports vital trade between nations.”
The Connecting Links program helps municipalities repair, renew and replace designated municipal roads and bridges that connect two ends of a provincial highway or lead to an international border. Eligible costs under the program include project design, construction and rehabilitation work. Municipalities can receive up to 90 per cent of eligible project costs, with a maximum of $3 million for road work and $5 million for bridge projects.
This year, the province is investing $45 million in 29 projects across 27 municipalities through the program.
“Over the next decade, our government is investing nearly $28 billion into highway infrastructure that will support our growing population and fuel our economy as we fight back against U.S. tariffs,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s minister of transportation. “We will continue to protect Ontario by supporting our municipal partners and delivering on our promise to make our province more competitive, more resilient and more self-reliant.”
Across Ontario, there are 352 kilometres of connecting link roads and 70 bridges across 77 municipalities. The program is seen as a critical part of the province’s broader transportation strategy to maintain safe and reliable access for commuters, businesses and international trade routes.
Municipalities are encouraged to apply for the 2026–27 round of Connecting Links program funding when intake opens later this year.
Be the first to comment