Three groups will soon be asked to submit bids as the Highway 3 expansion project moves forward.
The next phase involves expanding a 15.6 km stretch of the highway to four lanes between Essex and Leamington.
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to three prequalified teams. The winner will design, build, and pay for the next phase of the project.
The three prequalified teams are Coco Paving Inc., Erie Shores Infrastructure Partners, and Highway 3 Corridor Developers. The teams were announced in October after the provincial government issued a Request for Qualifications in June.
A successful bidder should be announced by fall 2022.
"By widening Highway 3, we are delivering on our promise to make travel easier and safer for the thousands of people who depend on this roadway each day," said Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney in a media release. "Our government has a clear vision to build Ontario. This project will support good jobs during construction, and once complete, ensure that our truck drivers and carriers can get their goods to market more quickly."
Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma said the expansion project not only makes good safety sense but also ensures vital supplies and commerce can easily move back and forth through Windsor-Essex.
"Projects such as Highway 3 are crucial to ensuring goods and supplies, including vaccines and PPE, can be delivered efficiently and quickly," said Surma. "In every corner of our province, we are getting shovels in the ground faster, building smarter, and expanding and enhancing critical infrastructure that will pave the way for Ontario to bounce back stronger than ever."
Construction is already underway on the 4.9-kilometre stretch of Highway 3 between Maidstone Avenue and Arner Townline in Essex. That portion should open by 2023.