County asks Province to help make County Road 22 / Manning Road intersection safer

A delegation from the County of Essex on Monday morning in Toronto formally pitched to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation a plan to make one of the busiest intersections in Essex County safer and less congested.

Warden Hilda MacDonald and CAO Sandra Zwiers met with Transportation Parliamentary Assistant Ric Bresee at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference in Toronto, seeking provincial support for a grade-separated interchange at the intersection of County Road 22 and County Road 19/Manning Road. Gridlock at this increasingly congested intersection, currently serviced by traffic signals, frustrates area residents and threatens to impede economic development and the construction of new homes.

The County is seeking $60 million in the next provincial budget to expedite construction of this vital infrastructure project and is prepared to complement that provincial contribution with a $45-million investment of its own while still completing other key projects in that rapidly developing area, including the continued widening of County Road 42.

“There are no red lights on the road to regional prosperity, and the County is ready and willing to partner with the province on this vital infrastructure project, unlocking the potential for thousands of hew homes and accelerated economic development,” said County of Essex CAO Sandra Zwiers.

“Statistics show that this is the most congested and perilous intersection along County Road 22. It is a crucial economic corridor servicing the new battery plant that connects to the new bridge via E.C. Row Expressway and directly to Highway 401 and markets beyond via Manning Road.”

County delegates have engaged with Ontario government officials about this project on multiple occasions and were buoyed by comments made during a recent trip to Windsor by Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, who was quoted in the Windsor Star saying the provincial government was “committed to working” with the County to “find a solution” for this intersection.

“The provincial government understands the importance of this project and what it means for the residents and economy of this region,” said Zwiers. “Our discussions today were productive and positive, and we remain hopeful the province will partner with us on this project to promote regional prosperity.”

Read the County’s submission to the province!

Watch the County’s video presentation about the project!