The County of Essex has started the fifth and final phase of the County Road 42 reconstruction project ahead of schedule. The county gave an update on Thursday, following early completion of work on previous phases. The final phase will widen County Road 42 from two lanes to four between County Road 43 (Banwell Road) and the City of Windsor boundary, just east of Lauzon Road. Crews will also install new storm sewers and a water main, along with sidewalks, curbs, streetlighting and landscaping. The work will extend improvements already made along the corridor westward from Manning Road to Windsor. The County is leading phase 5 in partnership with the Windsor Utilities Commission on the new water main and the Town of Tecumseh on improvements including sidewalks, streetlighting and multi-use trails. “The County of Essex is not only opening up this vital east-west corridor for economic development and the construction of more homes but enhancing neighbourhood connectivity through upgrades like new bicycle lanes, sidewalks and multi-use trails,” said Warden Hilda MacDonald. The cost of the final phase is $9,718,535. Work is beginning about eight months earlier than originally planned. Phase 4, which widened County Road 42 between Lesperance Road and Banwell Road, was substantially completed in August, more than a month ahead of schedule. Phase 3 of the project wrapped up one month ahead of schedule when the roundabout at the County Road 42 and County Road 19/Manning Road opened to traffic last September. “Construction can inconvenience residents, so we work closely with contractors, local municipalities and our infrastructure partners to complete these projects in an efficient and timely manner,” said County of Essex CAO Sandra Zwiers. The total cost of this five-phase, multi-year project to upgrade County Road 42 from Manning Road to the Windsor boundary is expected to be between $90 million and $100 million. Phases 3 and 4 had a combined contract value of about $23 million and were completed under budget. That work included: Major construction on the final phase is expected to continue through December 2026 and resume in spring 2027. The project is expected to be complete by summer 2027. Motorists should expect intermittent road closures and detours. All businesses will remain accessible during construction. Residents and businesses in the work zone will retain access to their properties, although they may experience short-term driveway disruptions.
