Personal injury lawyer applauds Ontario government's 'long overdue' decision to widen Highway 3

Windsor-based personal injury lawyer Greg Monforton says he and his team applaud Ontario's Progressive Conservative government's decision to widen a particularly notorious stretch of Highway 3.

Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney announced Monday that the government plans on widening the stretch of Highway 3 between the Town of Essex to just west of Leamington, Ont., saying that physical construction will begin sometime in 2021.

Monforton said the highway's widening has been long overdue.

"The best time to have done this would have five to 10 years ago," said Monforton. "The next best time to do it is today."

According to Monforton, the accidents on the stretch of Highway 3 in question largely occur due to human error. However, he said the fact that the roadway only has two lanes to accommodate high volumes of traffic is what contributes to "many needless and tragic motor vehicle collisions."

"What it essentially does is it serves to magnify or compound the driver error or carelessness of drivers who are not driving as well as they should," he said.

"In the case of Highway 3, it's so inherently dangerous because … if you're a driver who is not being as careful as you should be, it's going to make the effects of your carelessness even more tragic."

Monforton added that "everybody that uses Highway 3 is entitled to a safe roadway."

"Clients of ours and their loved ones and citizens … have been imploring various provincial governments … at least as far back as 10 years to do something," he said. "But nothing has happened and the safety of the people of this province [is] more important than dollars."

Ontario government still needs to iron out details

Although the provincial transportation minister announced that Highway 3's widening will move forward within the next few years, Monforton said he'd like to see the government start the project as soon as possible.

"I'm not being flippant, I'd rather them start tomorrow, because in the meantime, there's not much they can do, other than presumably step up law enforcement to try to curb speeding," he said.

Ontario PC Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Rick Nicholls said the government has to finalize land acquisitions, as well as conduct engineering studies and environmental assessments before construction work can begin.

Nicholls said the Ministry of Transportation has identified 21 land owners who need to be consulted regarding the project, adding the government has reached agreements with four landowners so far.

"It takes time to review, to determine, to assess, to negotiate and then to come up with accepted agreements," he said. "That's really where we're at right now and it's going to take time to do this."