Lakeshore Road improvements set to begin near Camlachie

Construction is set to get underway Monday on a section of Lakeshore Road in Plympton-Wyoming, as part of a Lambton County construction project that will include a three-week closing of the intersection at Fleming Road beginning July 22.

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Lakeshore, also known as County Road 7, is being resurfaced from the roundabout at Mandaumin Road to Egremont Road but more extensive work is planned for the Fleming Road intersection, the county said in a news release.

At other times during the project, drivers should expect delays and temporary lane closings on Lakeshore, the county said.

Work on the project is expected to be completed by late September, weather permitting.

The $1.9 million contract was awarded to Lavis Contracting Co. Limited.

Glen Hamill, the county’s construction supervisor, said this year’s work on Lakeshore Road will complete improvements that began a few years ago and continued in sections along the busy county road.

“This is the last section that will tie in, basically” from Modeland Road in Sarnia and “all the way up to Kettle Point,” he said.

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Work this summer includes adding partially paved shoulders, along with pavement recycling, resurfacing, drainage improvements, a culvert extension and a turning lane at Fleming Road.

“It warranted a turning lane,” Hamill said about the intersection providing access to new housing development nearby.

Lakeshore Road is “very busy, especially with all the growth in Camlachie,” he said.

There are also plans to add illumination at the Fleming Road intersection once the road project is completed, Hamill said. “Probably by the end of the fall, before winter, we’ll have those lights in place.”

Work at the intersection will include extending a culvert, along with the turning lane and resurfacing.

The intersection is scheduled to be closed to traffic for three weeks from July 22 to Aug. 12 but “we’re shooting for two” weeks, Hamill said.

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The detour route will follow county roads and send traffic to London Line while the intersection is closed, but local traffic will be able to use Egremont Road and other local roads, he said.

Hamill said the county is asking drivers to be patient during the project.

“We’ll try and get it done as soon as possible,” he said. “I know it’s an inconvenience but when it’s all done it will look really nice going out to Camlachie.”

In 2010, Lambton County adopted a policy of adding 1.4 metres of partially paved shoulders when upgrading its roads identified as part of the Lambton County Regional Trails Network aimed at improving infrastructure for cyclists and other non-motorized “active transportation” uses.

Improvements to Lakeshore Road in recent years, including the upcoming project, have added partially paved shoulders.

As of 2023, 180 km of county roads included in the regional trails network had received partially paved shoulders and is expected to rise to 236 km by the end of 2028, according to a county report.

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@ObserverPaulM

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