(File photo courtesy of Alberta Transportation)(File photo courtesy of Alberta Transportation)
Chatham

Work On Cable Barriers Along Hwy. 401 To Start Soon

High tension cable barriers will soon go up along the Hwy. 401 in Chatham-Kent.

Liane Fisher Bloxam with the Ministry of Transportation (west region) said in an email Wednesday evening that construction on the cable barriers would start this summer.

"The ministry will begin installing high tension cable barriers in the open grass median of Hwy. 401 to enhance safety and reduce median crossover collisions," said Bloxam.

She also stated that the installation of the barriers will work as a two-fold project.

"Installation of 16 km of high tension cable barriers in Chatham-Kent is expected to begin in early July, as part of the ongoing highway reconstruction work," she said. "Drivers will also see 48 km of high tension cable barriers installed between Victoria Rd. and Iona Rd. beginning in early August."

Work is expected to be complete by 2021.

A local advocate group fighting for concrete median barriers on the Hwy. 401 from Tilbury to London had previously said they're going to continue to push for concrete barriers for what's referred to as "Carnage Alley". 

In the meantime, Bloxam also mentioned in the email that an environmental assessment is needed in order to widen the highway in Chatham-Kent to six lanes and eventually install concrete median barriers.

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