The leaders of Kingsville and Leamington say they are going to switch tactics to get the province to widen Highway 3.

Leamington mayor John Paterson thinks the way to get the highway to four lanes is to start touting the community as an economic driver for the entire province.

Paterson made the comment while attending the 11th annual Mayor’s breakfast hosted Thursday by the Leamington Chamber of Commerce.

The previous arguments have been focused on safety, but there has been no movement on the subject since 2016 when the provincial government welcomed public input on the environmental assessment to improve Highway 3.

Paterson notes they applied to talk to then-Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca at a recent provincial conference, but were denied a meeting.

Paterson hopes this new idea will gain more traction.

“How is the province going to benefit from doubling those roads? I think when we show the economic value of it, then maybe they start paying attention” says Paterson.

“$3-billion of our goods in the greenhouse sector cross the border every year, how do we not make an impression?” says Kingsville mayor Nelson Santos.

Santos tells CTV News when applying for government grants, they often have to explain where they're located.

“We find Stats Can is falling behind and not really recognizing the area,” says Santos. “We see this growth happening within our own area, we see advancements and progress but it doesn't necessarily equate to the provincial story, or federally.”

Both community leaders say 2017 was a banner year for economic growth.

Santos notes in the greenhouse sector alone, they had seven new builds covering almost 37 acres at a value of $16.3-million.

“We just finished 2017 and set another new record of nearly $160-million in new investment in Leamington,” adds Paterson.

But neither mayor is ready or willing to give up on the idea of four lanes on Highway 3 from Essex to Leamington.

“There’s a ton of trucks every day leaving this municipality and going up Highway 3,” says Paterson. “That’s what we really need to promote to these guys to get them to understand, to open up that corridor.”

“We'll punch above our weight, find a way to get our messaging across,” adds Santos.