The number of collisions and fatalities on Hwy. 40 between Chatham and Wallaceburg has the MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex Monte McNaughton looking for a solution.
McNaughton recently sent a letter to Steven Del Duca, the provincial minister of transportation, outlining the unsafe conditions on that stretch of the highway.
In the letter, he suggests the highway be expanded to four lanes.
"There's been nearly 150 accidents in the past three years alone, and of course some extremely serious injuries and fatalities on that highway," says McNaughton.
He says not only would this change make it safer for drivers, but it would also benefit the economy.
"If we twin the highway, we can increase the amount of usage on that road," says McNaughton. "The more traffic on our local roads, the better it is for our economy."
McNaughton adds the highway is a favoured route heading towards the border, so expanding the highway could encourage more exports between Ontario and the United States.
Moving forward, McNaughton says he'll be returning to Queen's Park on Monday to bring this issue to the legislature.
"Chatham-Kent deserves to have their fair share of government investment," says McNaughton. "To me, this is just a perfect example of a project that should go ahead."
McNaughton says he's had success in sending these types of letters in the past, so he's hoping for a similar response.
"I have a good working relationship with the Transportation Minister, we've worked on a couple of other initiatives in the riding," says McNaughton. "I'm sure he'll see the value in Hwy. 40 being twinned."