A public meeting is planned later this week about the future of County Road 46 between Manning Road and Hwy. 401 in Tecumseh.
The County of Essex and the Town of Tecumseh hired BT Engineering Inc. to conduct an environmental assessment of the busy stretch.
It will include Concessions 8 and 9 between County Road 46 and the Tecumseh town boundary.
The area has seen an increase in development in recent years.
"Before, it was always at or after," said Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara, explaining the county and the town need to be proactive. "As you develop corridors for future movement of goods and services, you want to be there ahead of whatever development can occur."
County Road 46 is only two lanes wide. McNamara couldn't say what the environmental assessment will conclude but pointed out as many as 6,000 people drive to work in Oldcastle each day, and a new housing development nearby will add at least 250 new homes.
Construction will also start in the next few years on the new acute care hospital on County Road 42.
"When we look at the capacity requirements for the next 50 years or so, we're looking at between $400- and $500-million of capacity build throughout the region," said McNamara, adding that Manning Road and County Road 22 will need redress too.
The study will include a review of the Transportation Master Plan and County Wide Active Transportation System, a traffic study looking at current and projected use, and an assessment of the natural environment in that area.
The meeting is on Thursday, April 4, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ciociaro Club on North Talbot Road.
Although the process is in its early stages, officials want to hear from residents about their experiences driving on County Road 46 and what they want to see, including intersection improvements and capacity expansion.
Once the environmental assessment study is complete, the project will go to the design phase before the county and town councils approve it and construction begins.
McNamara warns studies like these take time. It could be a few more years before construction starts on County Road 46.