City staff are hoping to release a tender for the third and final phase of the Plank Road construction project before the end of this year.
City of Sarnia Construction Manager Robert Williams said work on a detailed design for the third phase is underway, and they hope to put out a tender late this year to be ready for a spring start.
The final section of the project is approximately 1.2 kilometres in length, through a dense commercial area.
"We may have to introduce a little more phasing to try to accommodate our businesses a little bit," he said. "We have Gladwish Drive in the next phase which is a busy little intersection so we're still looking at all of those details."
Williams said the work for the third phase will be very similar to the second.
"We'll be putting a temporary water main on top of the ground, hooking up everybody, and then digging a brand new water main into the ground beside the old one," he said.
Like the second phase, the roadway will also be recycled. Williams said the road will be ground and rejuvenated with asphalt liquid and laid back down with a paver before a final layer of asphalt is laid on top.
The lifespan of a recycled road is about 20 years, similar to a new road.
The project's second phase began this past spring and was completed in July with a final price tag of just under $2 million.
In March 2023, council accepted a $2.25 million tender from Van Bree Drainage and Bulldozing Limited for phase two of the project, from McGregor Sideroad to Gladwish Drive.
Williams said the second phase was done differently than the first, providing "significant savings."
"We had cancelled the [original] tender and redesigned it with a more traditional open-cut method of pipe installation. As well, we recycled the road rather than build a brand new road," he said.
Although the second phase of the Plank Road project was completed this past summer, construction crews are still working in the area on a separate project dedicated to culvert replacement.
A tender will be awarded in 2024 for the final phase of the Plank Road project after council approves the city budget.