Chatham-Kent councillor raising safety concerns about stretch of Highway 40

A Chatham-Kent councillor is expressing safety concerns about a stretch of Highway 40.

A Chatham-Kent councillor is calling on the province to review safety along a stretch of Highway 40 between Chatham and Wallaceburg following a series of collisions.

Ward 4 Coun. Rhonda Jubenville plans to bring forward a motion at Monday’s council meeting asking the municipality to send a letter to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation requesting a closer look at the highway, particularly near the intersections at Country View Line and Electric Line.

Jubenville says recent crash data raises concerns.

“I’ve got a motion that’s coming forward on Monday to ask the Ministry of Transportation to look at Highway 40 from Chatham to Wallaceburg,” Jubenville told CTV News.

She says information gathered with the help of local police shows there have been 13 motor vehicle collisions along the stretch between Jan. 1 and now.

“That’s very concerning,” Jubenville said. “If there’s been 13 collisions from January until now, that’s a lot in a short time span.”

The councillor says traffic volume and speed may be contributing factors.

According to Jubenville, the highway is a major route for transport trucks travelling between Chatham and Sarnia and is also heavily used by the agricultural sector in North Kent.

Country View Line in particular serves as a key route for farmers heading toward Dresden, including trucks accessing grain facilities in the area.

Jubenville says poor visibility from weather conditions can make crossing the highway dangerous.

“Unfortunately, due to speed and inclement weather like fog or snow, they have a hard time crossing over Highway 40 to get to Dresden,” she said.

“I’ve had conversations with farmers where they stop and they close their eyes and cross over 40 highway and hope for the best, which is not what we want happening.”

Jubenville says she hopes the province will consider potential safety improvements.

“I would like to see traffic lights or left-hand turn lanes. That would be the optimal solution in my opinion,” she said.

She also noted the ministry is already planning resurfacing work along the corridor, which could create an opportunity to address traffic safety issues at the same time.

The Ministry of Transportation said safety remains its top priority.

“Safety is our government’s top priority, and we take all road incidents extremely seriously,” the ministry said in a statement to CTV News.

The ministry added it continues to monitor Ontario highways and work with municipalities when concerns are raised.

“We work with elected officials to continuously monitor our highways for safety concerns and review areas where issues are raised. We continue to work closely with municipal partners to ensure the highest standards of safety for all road users.”

Jubenville is encouraging residents to raise concerns with council as the motion moves forward.

Ontario Provincial Police acknowledged CTV News’ request for comment but had not yet provided a response as of publication.

Council is expected to consider the request at its meeting Monday.