Ontario Construction News staff writer
A key infrastructure project in the Town of Tecumseh, just east of Windsor in Essex County, has been delayed by two years as the municipality manages traffic pressures from multiple overlapping construction projects in the region.
The project, located at the intersection of Lesperance Road and County Road 22, was initially scheduled to begin in the summer of 2025. It includes the addition of a northbound right-turn lane from Lesperance to County Road 22, replacement of aging watermains, upgraded traffic signals, improved street lighting, and enhanced pedestrian infrastructure.
Tecumseh council has now approved a delay, pushing the tender to late 2026 and construction to mid-2027.
According to a May 15 news release, the delay is attributed to ongoing roadworks on County Road 42, Banwell Road, and County Road 19, as well as trunk water and sanitary sewer installations tied to the Tecumseh Hamlet development.
The Tecumseh Hamlet development is a significant project aimed at expanding housing in the area. In September 2024, the Town of Tecumseh announced that it received $15.1 million in funding from the Province of Ontario through the Housing Enabling Water Systems Fund. This funding supports the installation of 1.8 kilometers of trunk watermain and 1.7 kilometers of trunk sanitary sewer in the Tecumseh Hamlet Secondary Plan Area, which is bounded by County Road 22, Banwell Road, and County Road 42. The infrastructure improvements are expected to service approximately 4,059 homes, contributing to a 41% increase in the town’s overall housing units.
The delay of the Lesperance Road and County Road 22 intersection upgrade is a strategic decision to manage the cumulative impact of these overlapping construction projects and ensure that the necessary infrastructure improvements are completed efficiently and without excessive disruption to residents and commuters.