Lesperance Road & Little River Boulevard Multi-Use Pathway Project

UPDATE: Due to watermain repairs and catch basin work, the paving will take place on Thursday, November 6

🚧 Road Work Notice: Lesperance Road – Milling and Paving (Nov 3–4, weather permitting)

Mill-Am will be completing milling and paving work on Lesperance Road from McNorton Street to First Street on Monday, November 3 and Tuesday, November 4, weather permitting.

Before paving, crews will apply a tack coat to the roadway. Once the new asphalt is placed, it will be rolled, compacted, and allowed to cool for several hours before reopening the lane to traffic. Line painting will follow a few days later.

Traffic Impact:

One lane of traffic will remain open throughout the work.
Flag personnel will be on site to guide vehicles safely through the area.
OPP officers will be stationed at the intersection of McNorton Street and Lesperance Road to assist with traffic control.

Access:

Access to all properties and businesses will be maintained, though some temporary disruptions may occur during paving operations.

Project Overview & Details

As part of the Town’s Transportation Master Plan Update, we’re working with the County of Essex to improve walking and cycling options in our community. The goal is to make it safer and easier for people to get around by foot or bike, while also connecting to regional trails.

This project includes building a new multi-use pathway on the west side of Lesperance Road (from Riverside Drive to First Street) and on the north side of Little River Boulevard (from Lesperance Road to Gauthier Drive).

Once complete, the new pathways will connect to the existing Riverside Drive trail, Lakewood Park, and the Ganatchio Trail — creating better links across the region.

In March 2022, Council authorized Administration, under report PWES-2022-11, to submit an application for funding under the Active Transportation Fund (ATF) for a future commitment to install a multi-use recreational trail on the west side of Lesperance Road (from Riverside Drive to First Street) and on the north side of Little River Boulevard (from Lesperance Road to Gauthier Street). Following the meeting, an application for funding was submitted and ultimately approved by the funding agency. The maximum amount of $2,616,000 in federal funding available for this project was awarded which will offset Town funds for the total project costs. In addition, the Town was also awarded an additional $240,000 which was the maximum amount of provincial funding available from Ontario’s Rural Economic Development (RED) program, these funds will assist with the costs of street tree installation, landscaping and decorative lighting along Lesperance Road from First Street to McNorton Street.

Piera Con Enterprises Inc. has been retained by the Town to complete the work which also includes driveway restoration for driveways within the work zone that are affected by construction as well as:

3.0 kilometers of 3.0-meter-wide pathway on the west side of Lesperance Road from First Street to Riverside Drive
0.3 kilometers of 3.0-meter-wide pathway on the north side of Little River Boulevard from Lesperance Road to Gauthier Drive.
Accessible landings at street intersections
Improved street lighting
Improved crossings at side streets
Connectivity with other existing pathways
Town Hall parking lot improvements
Beautification between McNorton Street and First Street significant tree planting, etc.

Construction Overview & Details

Refer to the below tabs for more information related to the construction of this project, including a map depicting the project limit and the phased approach for construction.

Construction Work Zone Map

Phase 1: First Street to McNorton

Begins week of June 2 and Is estimated to take 3 months with an approximate completion in September 2025
Access to Town Hall will be maintained throughout the project with signage posted to direct residents and visitors.
First Street will be closed while working on the municipal parking lots above and St. Jacques Street will serve as the detour route.
Additional parking lot closures will occur as the project advances.
Lesperance Road will remain open to two-way traffic for most of the construction period. However, brief single-lane closures with flagging may be necessary for specific construction activities.
Garbage and recycling collection will continue on its regular schedule.

Phase 2: McNorton to Riverside Drive

It is expected to take 3 months with an anticipated completion of the end of November 2025.
Further details to come