The County of Essex is hoping for $60 million of provincial funding for a grade-separated interchange at County Road 22 and Manning Road.
Warden Hilda MacDonald and CAO Sandra Zwiers met with Transportation Parliamentary Assistant Ric Bresee at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference in Toronto on Monday to make their case for the funding.
“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 new homes and accelerated economic development,” said 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.”
The county has committed $45-million toward the project.
The county is looking for the province to commit the funds in the next provincial budget to expedite the construction.
“Our discussions today were productive and positive, and we remain hopeful the province will partner with us on this project to promote regional prosperity,” said Zwiers.
