Ontario is investing almost $1.8 million into four transit and road projects in Leamington and Chatham-Kent.

Rick Nicholls, the Conservative MPP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington, made the infrastructure announcement Friday morning in Chatham.

Nicholls said he is nominating them under the Public Transit stream and Rural and Northern stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).

“Building and maintaining great roads, bridges and transit infrastructure, will help people who rely on our roads and public transit to get to work and home safely,” said Nicholls. “We are working closely with our municipal partners, families and small business to build needed infrastructure in our community.”

But the money is not guaranteed.

The projects are now with the federal government for final funding decisions as they are reviewed for eligibility under the ICIP program. But officials say some projects could begin as soon as Fall 2019.

While all of the projects have not been identified, Leamington is looking to purchase a new bus and Chatham-Kent is examining a transit strategy.

Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald is confident the federal government will come through with their share.

"For the feds to now say they wouldn't support it doesn't look good for them so I fully expect them to come through with approvals," says MacDonald.

The City of Windsor is also nominated to receive upwards of $66,000 for transit route improvements and more than $1 million for the implementation of the Transit Windsor master plan.

Minister of Infrastructure Laurie Scott says the transit projects promise to make a real difference in people’s lives.

“Better public transit creates stronger communities,” says Scott. “It helps people spend less time commuting to work and home, and more time doing the things they love with those they care about most.”

“Providing efficient, affordable public transit is an important goal of the municipality,” said Chatham-Kent mayor Darrin Canniff. “It is both an economic and social driver in our community.”

If approved, the nominated projects will be eligible for total funding of more than $5.8 million from the federal, provincial and municipal governments.

“These initiatives promise to make a real difference in people’s lives and we’re excited to get shovels in the ground,” said Nicholls. “Now it’s up to the federal government to approve them.”