Lambton County Council has formally committed $1.2 million in funding for completion of the area's long-planned oversize load corridor project.
Warden Bill Weber said the wheels are officially in motion now.
"Previously the motion was to have it conditional on other funding coming from the province," said Weber. "Today, county council moved to go ahead with our portion of the funding to start the project."
Weber said they've made the project a priority because it will create hundreds of jobs in various sectors of the local industry.
"We would like it [construction] as soon as possible, but I don't know when that is. There has to be some planning and preparation for that. I'm not sure where that is along the road with staff," he said.
Weber said he is still hopeful provincial funding will come through at some point, but the federal government has refused to support the project.
The county's funding is in addition to the city's $4.7 million commitment made in June, a $75,000 pledge from St. Clair Township, and $10,000 from the Sarnia-Lambton Industrial Alliance.
The permanent corridor to truck industrial modules between metal fabrication shops and Sarnia Harbour would require significant road and power line modifications, and is estimated to cost $12 million.
