Highway 3 originally travelled down CR 34's path all the way through Essex, Cottam, Ruthven, and Leamington until 1971, when the MTO decided to build a bypass around the town of Essex. This Essex By-Pass was built and opened in 1977, and was temporarily re-routed along Malden Road (Formerly an extension of CR 12, not to be confused with Highway 114 OR Essex County Road 3) to CR 34 in North Ridge while it was being extended to Ruthven. This section opened in 1982.