Hatch Mott MacDonald welcomes opening of Herb Gray Parkway

Iselin, N.J. — After five years of construction, an 8-kilometer-long stretch of the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway opened for traffic over the weekend of June 27-28. Motorists will be able to drive along the parkway uninterrupted by traffic signals — one of the key benefits of the redevelopment.

Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM) is the prime designer for detailed design, leading a team that includes Dillon, AMEC, and LEA. HMM project management staff had overall responsibility for the design effort, managing a broad multidisciplinary team of over 350 consultants and technical specialists.

Steven Del Duca, Ontario Minister of Transportation, said earlier, “With 90 percent of the Herb Gray Parkway now complete, we come closer to realizing the transportation benefits the parkway will deliver to residents and drivers alike and the economic benefits this new Parkway will bring to the region.”

The Herb Gray Parkway is the roadway component of the new Detroit River International Crossing, described by the Windsor Star as “the planet’s largest surface trade route.” HMM’s design efforts included coordination of all components and design of significant portions of the highway and roadway works, including design of tunnels, bridges, culverts, pedestrian structures, lightweight and expanded polystyrene (EPS) backfill, retaining walls, traffic analysis of detour/staging, and storm sewer pump stations. HMM is also leading the Project Management and site overview during the construction period.

The parkway includes 11 tunnels, seven pedestrian bridges, two pedestrian tunnels, 300 acres of green space, and 20 kilometers of trails. A “Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savannah” theme is incorporated in design elements such as walls and noise barriers, and a wide variety of native plant species were included in the landscaping.