Public to get first look at $50M County Road 42 expansion plan
Based on the volume of daily traffic using the County Road 42 corridor between Banwell Road and Country Road 25, there should be plenty of interest in getting the first glimpse of plans to widen the 10-kilometre stretch of road.
An open house to gather public feedback will be held Dec. 11 from 2-7 p.m. at the County of Essex West Pike Depot at 11965 County Road 42 in Tecumseh.
The nearly $50-million plan calls for the road to be widened to five lanes, two in each direction with a turning lane. Construction is scheduled to begin next summer.
“It’s something that needs to be done,” said Lakeshore Mayor Tom Bain, past Essex County warden.
“The traffic there now is unbelievable. The second reason is if the mega-hospital is to be built there (off County Road 42 near the airport), we have more need.
“The expansion has always been planned, now there’s just more urgency.”
In addition to widening the road, the plan calls for roundabouts at Manning Road (County Road 19) and at Banwell Road.
Banwell Road and Concession Road 11 will be realigned 250 metres westward so they meet as opposed to the jog that motorists now have to make.
Construction will proceed in six phases. The first phase is the creation of the roundabout at Manning Road and County Road 42.
The original plan announced two years ago carried a price tag of $36 million, but rising construction costs and the addition of some new elements have pushed that figure higher.
“Some of it’s increased construction costs, but we’ve really tied the area into the (County Wide Active Transportation System),” Bain said. “We’ll have bike lanes, mixed-use trails and pathways to tie the whole package together in that area.”
County Road 42 sees an average of 25,000 vehicles a day, making it the county’s second-busiest road after nearby County Road 22 (EC Row Expressway).
“People are struggling to get onto the road,” Bain said.
“You also have the school there at Banwell (Tecumseh Vista Academy) with people trying to get access from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and at 3 p.m. when it really gets busy.”
Bain said local experience provides the proof that roundabouts are the safest way for traffic to get onto County Road 42 from the side streets. At least four, and possibly up to seven, will eventually appear on County Road 42 in the county.
“We’ve had good results with the roundabouts on County Road 22,” Bain said. “They’ve allowed for smooth traffic flow and are safer.”
Bain added the volume of traffic is only going to grow along the corridor with both Lakeshore and Tecumseh having major subdivision plans ready to move forward in the area.
Tecumseh has approved plans from a couple of developers for mixed-use subdivisions that will accommodate up to 3,000 residences between Banwell and Manning Roads.
“Our population is going to boom,” Bain said. “Our Wallace Line subdivision project, adjacent to County Road 42, is for 10,000 homes over a 10-year period.
“It’s a huge project with Coco (Homes) and Dominic Amicone (Amicone Construction), so you know that’s going ahead. We’re trying to get ahead of the project with our infrastructure.”
Bain said much of the County Road 42 project groundwork is already in place for the first phase to begin. “I don’t think there’ll be much impact on property owners,” Bain said. “I think there’s only one property left that’s required.”