Entrances to businesses and a new path along Lite and St. Clair streets in Point Edward were recently paved.
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But it’ll take until next year to, it’s hoped, complete another three phases in what was a $6 million road reconstruction project in the village, chief administrator Jim Burns said.
“What we don’t want to do is tear the road up and have no asphalt there in the winter,” he said about waiting until the spring for phase two.
The four-phase project between Front Street and Michigan Avenue includes replacing an old water main, building a new road with new curbs and gutters, some storm main repairs, planting new trees, and installing the multi-use path.
Work may happen, in the interim, on the next-phase boulevards, depending on the weather, Burns said, to make construction smoother next year.
Repaving the road in the first-phase zone between Bridge and Front streets, where work has been ongoing since Aprilshould happen soon, but there’s no expected completion date, he said.
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“I think they’re getting close to (paving),” he said.
A contract with Cope Construction, completing the project after former contractor McNally Excavating Ltd. and the village parted ways in Julyis also close to being inked, Burns said.
“We don’t have a signed contract yet but… our lawyer is just reviewing it,” he said.
Cope has been completing phase one work in the meantime since August.
Project scope won’t change, Burns said, but the cost will go up.
“But we don’t have the final numbers on that yet,” he said.
“We look forward to getting the project done next year.”
At Sarnia Produce’s Point Edward site, in the construction zone, sales have been down 60 per cent compared to 2023, and staff hours have been cut, manager Peter Anglican said.
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“Many people have stopped coming to the store because everyone basically thinks we are closed,” he said.
Anglican said he’s not pleased the project is dragging into 2025, after it was originally expected to be completed this fall, before Ministry of Labor orders in the spring shut down work.
The ministry declined to provide further details, citing an ongoing investigation.
Burns said he can’t comment on any legal matters between the village and McNally.
Communication from the village, meanwhile, has also been lacking, Anglican said.
“We are very sad with the fact that none of the people, officials from the village, have come over and spoken to us about anything,” he said.
“That’s the saddest part.”
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