The County of Essex will be spending more than $18-million on road projects and near $3-million on paved shoulder projects in 2023.
The funding approved by County Council in the 2023 Road Rehabilitation Program includes 13 road rehabilitation projects, two bridge rehabilitation projects and three culvert replacement projects.
One of the biggest projects involves a bridge over a section of the River Canard at County Road 9 (Howard Avenue) and Middle Side Road in Amherstburg.
Over $3.8-million is earmarked for work on the crossing, which is not far from Coachwood Golf and County Club.
Allan Botham, Director of Infrastructure and Planning with the County of Essex, says the bridge over County Road 9 is a significant structure within that drainage system.
"It happens to run right through the middle of the intersection. So when we go ahead to replace it, we will have to create quite a good sized road diversion and we will have significant traffic detours set up. It will take a significant amount of time next summer," he says.
The planned work on that particular bridge will see the deck completely removed and replaced, as the current deck has reached the end of its serviceable life.
The goal is to see work begin in the summer and finish in late 2023.
Botham says they will be looking at the possibility of temporary diversion of traffic in the area or the use of significant detours around various county roads, or a combination of both.
"It speaks to the location of the bridge, that it's passing through the middle of a signalized intersection that's already a busy intersection. It's a significant drainage facility, the River Canard. It's going to some significant effort to get that bridge replaced," he adds.
A view of a bridge that crosses over a section of the River Canard at the intersection of Howard Avenue (County Road 9) and Middle Side Road in Amherstburg. (Image courtesy of Goggle Street View)
Among the other road projects approved by Essex County Council:
Road rehabilitation projects that have been approved total $18,630,300 and include:
- 13 road rehabilitation projects
- 2 bridge rehabilitation projects
- 2 bridge engineering assignments
- 3 culvert replacement projects
- 3 culvert engineering assignments
Bridge Rehabilitation projects:
- River Canard Bridge on County Road 9 - $3,875,000
- River Canard Bridge on County Road 11 - $1,285,000
Culvert Rehabilitation Projects:
- Wiper Drain on County Road 37 - $1,100,000
- Tom Wright Drain on County Road 50 - $1,105,000
- Long Marsh Drain on County Road 18 - $1,134,000
Road Rehabilitation Projects:
- County Road 8 from County Road 27 to 450 m west of Graham Side Road - $985,000
- County Road 20 from Ferriss Road to Iler Road - $1,155,000
- County Road 25 from County Road 42 to Highway 401 - $1,235,000
- County Road 27 from Highway 3 to MN#81 - $220,000
- County Road 42 from County Road 35 to County Road 37 - $1,225,000
- County Road 46 from County Road 23 to Lakeshore Road 203 - $730,000
- County Road 50 from Wright Road to Dahinda Road - $925,000
- County Road 3 from County Road 20 to County Road 8 - $345,000
- County Road 34 from County Road 45 to Road 3 - $490,000
- County Road 35 from Lakeshore Road 305 to Highway 401 - $300,000
- County Road 37 from County Road 14 to Mersea Road 7 - $520,000
- County Road 27 from MN#81 to County Road 34 - $225,000
- County Road 31 from County Road 2 to County Road 42 - $585,000
County Council adopted its Paved Shoulder program in 2016. The program aligns paved shoulder projects with road rehabilitation projects as an efficient and cost-effective way of building out the County Wide Active Transportation System.
Paved shoulder projects stretching 14 km and totaling $2.8 million have been approved for 2023:
- 1.6 km on County Road 3 from County Road 20 to County Road 8
- 3.3 km on County Road 8 from County Road 27 to 450 metres west of Graham Side Road
- 4 km on County Road 25 from County Road 42 to Highway 401
- 2.7 km on County Road 31 from County Road 2 to MN# 921
- 0.8 km on County Road 34 from County Road 45 to Road 3
- 1.6 km on County Road 50 from Wright Road to Dahinda Drive.