Construction and Road Closures Update – May 15, 2026

County Road 50 over the Lonsberry Drain, just east of Colchester, reopened Friday following a 12-week culvert replacement project. Read more!

County Road 12 reopened Friday at the intersection of Batten Sideroad, just south of Highway 3 in the Town of Essex, following a culvert replacement project. The project was finished two weeks ahead of schedule.

Four new County of Essex road projects are about to begin:

County Road 8 on the Lakeshore/Leamington border will have lane restrictions for road construction between County Road 31 and Hwy 77 beginning Friday, May 15.

County Road 11 on the Amherstburg/Essex border will have lane restrictions for road construction between Texas Road and County Road 12 beginning Tuesday, May 19.

County Road 8 on the Lakeshore/Leamington border will have lane restrictions for road construction between County Road 37 and Kent Road 1 beginning Wednesday, May 20.

County Road 46 in Tecumseh will have lane restrictions for road construction between 8th Concession and County Road 17 beginning Thursday, May 21.

Other County of Essex closures are ongoing:

County Road 8 has lane restrictions from Cameron Sideroad to Brien Avenue East for road construction. Work began May 12.

County Road 27 has lane restrictions between South Middle Road and MUN 2619 (South Limit of South Woodslee) for construction. Work began May 12.

On April 20 the intersection of County Road 42 and Lesperance Road closed for construction, in all four approaching directions. This, to allow for the complete rebuild of the intersection to match the new, widened CR 42 cross-section. 

On Thursday of this week, construction workers laid down the entire base layer of asphalt in all four approaching directions. Concrete curbs, sidewalks, underground electrical and traffic-signal wiring and stamp concrete medians are all completed, while traffic signal and light-pole bases are all installed. The only items remaining on the project’s to-do list are paving additional layers of asphalt, hanging the new traffic poles and signals, programming those signals, and line painting. 

The anticipated duration of the four-way closure is approximately six weeks, or until about the end of May. Businesses at the CR 42 & Lesperance intersection remain accessible, via Lesperance. 

For more on the County Road 42 project, check out the project page at our website: https://www.countyofessex.ca/cr42

County Road 42 is closed between County Road 37 and Queen Street South (Kent Road 1) in Lakeshore, for bridge work. This nine-month project began February 17. Please use caution and follow the posted detour. 

And a reminder to please exercise PATIENCE with line-painting operations. Be prepared to drive slowly, and do NOT drive over the wet paint, to prevent damage to your vehicle.