The biggest road project Point Edward has ever undertaken will begin in the spring of 2024.
The Village of Point Edward awarded a contract of just over $5.3 million to McNally Excavating this past summer for a complete road reconstruction project on St. Clair Street from Front Street to Michigan Avenue.
"It's a complete reconstruction of St. Clair Street and part of Lite Street," said Mayor Bev Hand. "A complete reconstruction of all of the underground services and then the road on top."
Hand said they had hoped the first phase of the project would have started in September, however, pre-construction work (such as soil testing) took longer than anticipated. Since work would have to pause during the winter, the decision was made to hold off until next year.
"In the meantime, work goes on to do what can be done to prepare such as tree removal required in order to facilitate the installation of new water and storm services," said Hand. "Soiling testing is underway, another requirement pre-construction. Bell, Cogeco, and Bluewater Power are busy completing infrastructure relocation work required prior to the project start."
Hand said some of the road reconfiguration of St. Clair Street will involve narrow lanes to slow traffic and a wider pedestrian pathway near the Blue Water Bridge. The project will also include beautification along the stretch of roadway.
"Down around Sarnia Produce (on Lite Street) there are just bare boulevards," Hand said. "When this is all done, all the boulevards are going to be done up nicely with trees, which is environmentally helpful and beautifies the area."
Hand said the price tag may go up depending on if the village decides to add side projects to the initial plan. "As we go along, we're trying to pick up more pieces if we can afford to," she said. "We're doing a little bit of a reconstruction on Louisa Street, near the bowling alley, to change the configuration to make it safer so these are things that are getting added on."
Hand said the project has been a few years in the making as the village started talking about plans before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on what consultants at MIG Engineering Ltd. have said, Hand said they're hopeful the project's end result will stand as an example for other municipalities.
