A busy intersection along County Road 42 in Tecumseh will be closed for the next six weeks starting Monday.
The intersection of County Road 42 and Lesperance Road will be closed for construction-in all four approaching directions-as of Monday, April 20, at 7 a.m.
The intersection will be undergoing a complete rebuild to be widened to five-plus lanes, while new sidewalks, bicycle lanes, pedestrian crosswalks, streetlights, and traffic signals will also be installed.
Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara says it's important to get the work done as quickly as possible, and the only way they're going to do that is by shutting down the intersection.
"There is a lot of underground work that has to be done on the four corners, and it's very difficult in very tight spaces. We're telling people to be patient. I know, here we go again, but please be patient," he says.
It's expected, weather permitting, that the four-way closure will last approximately six weeks, or until about the end of May.
The County of Essex says that businesses at the County Road 42 and Lesperance intersection will still be accessible: those on the north side of CR 42 via Lesperance from the north and, similarly, those on the south side of CR 42 via Lesperance from the south.
The closest north-south alternatives for travelling across County Road 42 are Banwell Road (CR 43) and Manning Road (CR 19).
McNamara says they are expecting huge population increases and housing booms in the area, so drivers need to understand they're building the infrastructure before it's needed.
"I think the end product is what they should be looking at. Once County Roads 42 and 43 are finished and the amenities that are being added within the city of Windsor at Banwell and the overpass, it's going to be a huge benefit for the region," he says.
McNamara says if that area is part of your drive, be aware of what's happening and leave yourself lots of time to get to where you're going.
"This corridor right here is the banner growth. Everyone is going to experience growth, but this is where the huge impact is going to happen. We're asking folks to be patient," he says.
The construction project is part of the years-long project to widen County Road 42 to four lanes-eastward from the City of Windsor, through Tecumseh, through Manning Road (County Road 19), and into Lakeshore.
The overall work this year is focused on the stretch of County Road 42 from Banwell Road (County Road 43) east to Lesperance Road.
Click here for more on the County Road 42 project.