On February 4, 2026, Essex County Council ratified the 2026 road rehabilitation plan and finalized the household fee structure for the regional Green Bin organics program affecting Tecumseh, Ontario, and other Phase 1 municipalities. The decision identifies specific streets and segments scheduled for construction in 2026 and confirms how residents in serviced areas will be billed for the new regional waste service.
The county approved a $79.8‑million Capacity Expansion road program for 2026 intended to relieve congestion in growing neighbourhoods. Much of the work will take place on County Road 42 and on the Manning and Banwell corridors — officially County Road 19 (Manning Road) and County Road 43 (Banwell Road). Local reporting and county documents note that over half of the spending approved in the 2026 County of Essex budget is focused on road improvements.
Residents in Phase 1 communities will also see a household charge appear on municipal property tax bills to recover the cost of the regional Green Bin program, which is being managed by the Essex‑Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA). The County and EWSWA have put the 2026 per‑household charge at roughly $150 for serviced single‑family homes; some reporting shows amounts in the roughly $154–$161 range for 2026 depending on municipality. Phase 1 municipalities that began collection in 2025 (including Tecumseh) are being billed in 2026; Phase 2 communities (Amherstburg, Kingsville and Leamington) are scheduled to begin service in fall 2026 and will be billed later.
County leaders are continuing to press the province for major funding to address a persistent congestion and safety problem at the intersection of County Road 19 (Manning Road) and County Road 22. The County has formally pitched a $105‑million grade‑separated interchange (overpass) for that location; reporting cites traffic volumes in the area of about 42,000 vehicles per day. While higher‑level funding is pursued, the county says it will advance interim widening and other improvements to help traffic flow.
According to the County of Essex, most construction work is scheduled during the March–November construction season. The multi‑phase reconstruction of County Road 42 is a multi‑year program; Phase 4 — the section from Lesperance Road to County Road 43 — is anticipated to be completed by the end of June 2026.
