The County of Essex is hoping to land nearly $50-million for an expansion of Manning Road.
Through the Federal Government's National Trade Corridors Fund, $2-billion is available over the next 11 years for roads that "support economic activity and the movement of goods and people."
Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara says, if approved, the feds would fund close to half of the $100-million project which would see Manning Road changed to four lanes from County Road 22 to Highway 3.
McNamara says Manning is a major north-south artery.
"It connects three major routes which would be Highway 3, 4, 1 and County Road 22," explains McNamara. "I can attest to see the traffic, in particular when we did the intersection, we had delays there, probably backups up to three kilometres on certain times during the day. So it's meeting its capacity."
McNamara says Manning plays an important role in Windsor's border crossings.
"We all know 25% of all the GDP in Canada goes through that border and a lot of it is on County 22 and Manning. Many of our plants are inter-linked. Chrysler, Hiram Walker, Oldcastle as well as the Patillo Road subdivision industrial."
Manning serves a dual purpose, according to McNamara.
"Commerce and it also acts as the safety valve as well," he says. "So if something ever happened on Highway 3 to the magnitude of what happened on Highway 400 just the other day, we need access to be able to get our goods and services from well into the county."
The County's funding application also includes money for a 'Centralized Traffic Control System' which would better align county roads with the Herb Gray Parkway and Highway 401.
The feds will announce which projects are being granted funding next spring.