KITCHENER -- The region says that it will begin work to widen and add trails to Highland Road West this year.
Regional Coun. Tom Galloway says that improvements will start in 2020 but will take between two and three years to complete.
The news comes after a man was killed walking along a portion of the road in what police believe was a hit-and-run.
Officials say that Wojciech Plaga, 39, was hit sometime Sunday night or early Monday morning.
"It's a rural road within the city and people will use it for pedestrian purposes on the side of the road, and in the winter time that's probably a lot riskier," Galloway says.
But the region says that these improvements have been in the works for years. Galloway says that this project has been in the capital forecast for some time and has already been designed, engineered and tendered.
The gutters on the sides will become additional lanes and the region is adding multi-use trails, as well.
The project will span from Ira Needles Boulevard to Westheights Drive.
Galloway says that phase one is expected to be completed this year with another done next.
He says there's a chance that a third year could be needed to finish the required work because of the scope of the project.
