402 pavement joint buckles under heat, road closure persists

Road surface damage is seen on Highway 402 in Lambton County on June 22, 2025. (Source: WxOntario/X/Bill M/Jon S.)

A section of Highway 402 in Lambton County that closed Sunday evening, is expected to remain closed until the end of the week.

A statement to CTV News from the Ministry of Transportation said, “Due to extreme heat, a pavement joint on Highway 402 between Oil Heritage Road and Mandaumin Road in Plympton-Wyoming requires repair leading to the temporary closure of the highway. MTO has worked with nearby municipalities to activate Emergency Detour Routes while temporary repairs are underway. The highway is expected to reopen later this week.”

The statement went on to say that permanent repairs will be made this fall.

As of Monday, westbound motorists were being asked to exit at Oil Heritage Road and detour following London Line to Mandaumin Road to re-enter the highway.

Between 2018 and 2020, a section of Highway 3 in Essex County buckled multiple times under extreme heat.