Chatham-Kent council has unanimously approved a $5.8-million package of road and infrastructure works that will reshape a busy Chatham intersection and rebuild a key Wallaceburg street, projects municipal staff say are aimed at improving safety, drainage and utility capacity.
What was approved
Council on Monday night approved spending $1.8 million to upgrade the intersection of Park Avenue East and Sass Road in Chatham, and $4 million to reconstruct Elgin Street in Wallaceburg.
- The Park Avenue East and Sass Road work includes a new traffic signal, road widening to add turning lanes, concrete curbs, catch basins and drainage improvements, a new sidewalk along the north side of Sass Road connecting to Junction Avenue, street lighting improvements, repaving of the intersection and approaches, and site restoration.
- The Elgin Street project will install new sanitary and storm sewers between Forhan Street and Lorne Avenue, a larger watermain with services to the property line, repaving, replacement of driveway approaches, curbs and gutters, sidewalks, and boulevard restoration.
Timing and traffic impacts
Municipal staff say construction on the Chatham intersection is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2026 and be "substantially completed" by December. During the work, Park Avenue East and Creek Road will remain open to traffic; however, Sass Road will be closed for a portion of the project and detours will be posted. The municipality emphasised that access to nearby businesses will remain open at all times.
The Elgin Street reconstruction in Wallaceburg is planned in two phases. Phase 1 is set to start in September and continue as weather permits, with Phase 2 expected to begin in the spring of 2027. Overall completion is projected by August 2027.
Why the work matters locally
The approved works bundle routine road maintenance with larger utility upgrades. For Chatham, the intersection improvements are designed to add turning lanes and a traffic signal, steps that typically aim to reduce collisions and ease congestion where residential and commercial traffic meet. Improved drainage and catch basins are intended to limit surface flooding and associated damage to pavement and private property.
In Wallaceburg, replacing sanitary and storm sewers and upsizing the watermain addresses both service reliability and capacity for future growth. Installing services to the property line is also intended to reduce the need for later disruptions to excavate for individual connections.
Costs and council decision
The total package of $5.8 million was approved unanimously by council. The municipality provided operational details in a staff report outlining work scopes and schedules for both projects. No separate funding sources were detailed in the public report distributed with the agenda; council and administration indicated the projects are part of the municipality's capital program.
| Project | Approved amount | Estimated start | Estimated completion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elgin Street, Wallaceburg | $4.0M | Phase 1: September 2026 | August 2027 |
| Park Ave. E. & Sass Rd., Chatham | $1.8M | Fall 2026 | Substantially completed by December 2026 |
"Substantially completed"
For residents and business owners, the next months will bring traffic changes and construction noise as crews mobilize. Municipal staff have said efforts will be made to keep local access open and to limit disruptions where possible. As work proceeds, drivers should watch for posted detours and changes at the Park Avenue East and Sass Road intersection.
The projects are part of a broader municipal capital strategy that balances road resurfacing, storm and sanitary infrastructure renewal, and improvements to support traffic flow and pedestrian access across the Chatham-Kent municipality. With the Elgin Street work stretching into next summer, the Wallaceburg project will be one of the larger, longer-duration reconstruction projects in the area this construction season.
Further details, including contractor awards and phasing maps, will be released by the municipality as procurement is completed and construction timelines are finalized.
