The $1.4 billion Windsor-Essex Parkway project is being renamed in honour of former Liberal MP Herb Gray.

Gray served nearly 40 years in the House of Commons, between 1962 and 2002.

Premier Dalton McGuinty was in Windsor for the ceremony Wednesday morning, along with Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Dwight Duncan.

Duncan said he's convinced that the Herb Gray Parkway will eventually lead to a new bridge.

"We are building the road," he said. "That is what we said we'd do to connect the new bridge to the 400 series highways. The Herb Gray Parkway does that. It's under construction. We are fufilling the undertakings we were asked to do and I think right now we're the only government that's actually doing that."

Much of the 11-kilometre route leading to a proposed new international bridge is being built in Gray's former riding of Windsor-West.

At 81 years old, Gray spent half of his life as a public servant in Ottawa.

He was elected in 13 straight federal elections, making him one of the longest continuously serving MP in Canadian history.

Gray said he misses everything about his former hometown.

"It's my home city," he said. "I grew up here. I represented it in parliament. People were very friendly. Very supportive. So I have wonderful memories."

Gray currently lives in Ottawa.

Parkway construction is expected to be complete in two years.