Officials with the Municipality Chatham-Kent plan to tell the province that there is no better place than here and no better time than now to build a concrete barrier for the Chatham-Kent stretch of Highway 401.
With major construction planned for Highway 401 through Chatham-Kent over the next several years, Chatham-Kent council is encouraging the province to have a solid timeline to construct a permanent concrete barrier to prevent crossover crashes.
At Monday night’s council meeting, members approved a motion asking for a letter to be sent to the Ministry concerning the barrier construction, as well as seek an updated timeline. Chatham councillor Alysson Storey brought forward the successful motion.
Storey has been a longtime advocate for a concrete barrier between the east and west stretches of the 401 to prevent crossover crashes as well as protect first responders in emergencies. Temporary cable barriers were installed along the highway and completed in 2020, and concrete barriers built on the 401 between Windsor and Merlin, as well as London eastward.
However, over the last few years, Storey says progress has stalled and discussions with the province have fallen off.
“We are reaching out to the new Minister and hope to have a little more of an open channel of communication,” Storey says.
Storey said it’s important to have the installation expedited, and it makes sense financially and logistically to construct the concrete barrier during the construction.
Council was given an update concerning several Ministry of Transportation projects planned for Highway 401 at Monday’s council meeting. The Ministry of Transportation plans on expanding Highway 401 from Tilbury to London and while there is not a set timeline, it is expected to be a multiyear project.
The MTO also plans on closing and reconfiguring the Bloomfield Road interchange. Construction is expected to begin in 2025 and finish in 2026 or 2027.
