Municipal officials are urging the Ontario government to address safety concerns along a stretch of provincially-maintained road between Chatham and Wallaceburg.
Councillor Rhonda Jubenville raised a motion at the March 9th council meeting, asking the Mayor to send a letter to Minister of Transportation, Prabmeet Sarkaria, to undertake an operational review of Highway 40.
“I think this is an opportune time since the ministry is already going to be working on a resurfacing project, and I’m hopeful they will address our concerns and take them very seriously,” said Jubenville.
The North Kent representative said there have been 13 collisions on Highway 40 between Pioneer Line and Border Line since January, 2026.
“I’ve had multiple conversations with residents of North Kent, farmers who tried to cross 40 Highway who are pulling, they might be in a tractor, slower moving vehicle, they have trailers behind them or an implement behind them, and they’re trying to cross 40 Highway and sometimes they can be sitting there for five to ten minutes before they feel [it is] safe [to cross.]”
Jubenville also asked that a copy of the letter be sent to Chatham-Kent Leamington MPP and Minister of Agriculture Trevor Jones, as well as Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Steve Pinsonneault.
The motion passed unanimously.
