St. George Street Reconstruction

St. George Street reconstruction is substantially complete for the season, and we extend our sincere thanks to all residents for their patience and understanding throughout the process.

In the coming days, the landscape contractor will be finishing the sod and seed installation to close out the work for this year. The contractor will be responsible for watering the newly installed sod, but we kindly ask residents to avoid walking on it for at least 30 days to ensure proper growth.

Final asphalt paving and related works are tentatively scheduled for May 2025, which will mark the project's completion. Should you have any concerns over the winter months, please contact the Project Manager.

Due to ongoing and forecasted rain, paving on St. George Street has been rescheduled to Friday, September 27th and Monday, September 30th.

We thank everyone for their patience and understanding.

Due to forecasted rain on Monday and Tuesday, asphalt paving on St. George Street has been rescheduled to Wednesday. The paving contractor will also place a small section of surface asphalt on Thursday to minimize disruption to Wellington Road in 2025. As a result, Wellington Road to Ryan Street will be closed to general traffic on Wednesday and Thursday. Please use Talbot Street to access the area.

Happy (almost) fall, Elgin County residents! Work on St. George Street continues, with sidewalk placement starting today. This new sidewalk will be separated from the roadway by a grass boulevard to increase safety and comfort for those walking on St. George Street. You’ll also notice intersection improvements, including shorter crossing distances to enhance safety for all users. Sidewalk installation will continue throughout this week along the north side of St. George Street. Please be mindful of the sidewalk formwork, as it creates a tripping hazard. Do not walk on the sidewalk until the formwork has been removed and the concrete has had time to cure properly.

Residents on the north side of the street have received door hangers and are reminded to park on designated side streets for four days after the sidewalk is placed in front of their homes to allow for proper curing and to minimize damage.

The remainder of the base asphalt is scheduled for Tuesday, September 24th. The site will be busy with asphalt pavers, rollers, and dump trucks carrying hot asphalt. All residents are asked to use Talbot Street to enter and exit the area for everyone’s safety throughout the day.

Thank you, as always, for your understanding as we wrap up major work on the project for the season.

Happy September, Elgin County residents! We are pleased to announce that the underground works on St. George Street have been completed. We will now proceed with surface restoration work. The next phase, which includes curb placement, is scheduled for Wednesday, September 11th (weather permitting). This will complete all remaining curb work from St. George Street to Wellington Road.

Please ensure that any vehicles needed over the next four days are removed and parked on Nathan, Ryan, Vineden, or Timberlane Drive. Parking on St. George Street is not permitted during this time as it remains an active work zone. Additionally, be cautious of the stringline that has been placed this week, as it poses a tripping hazard.

Sidewalk construction is also tentatively set to begin on September 16th, starting at the CN Rail crossing and extending to Wellington Road. The same driveway closures will be in effect.

Thank you for your cooperation and respect for the ongoing works.

Phase 1 curb work from Timberlane Road east to the CN Rail crossing has been completed. Residents are asked to continue using designated parking areas until Monday. This will allow the new curb to cure for four days, ensuring it reaches the strength needed to support vehicles without breaking or cracking. The County appreciates your patience over the weekend, as this step is crucial for ensuring the longevity, appearance, and functionality of the curb for years to come.

PV-EX has begun fine grading the roadway from Timberlane to the CN Rail crossing. Over the next week, this work will continue, along with the raising of manhole covers and other metal fixtures within the roadway. Asphalt paving for Phase 1 is scheduled for Friday, August 30th, to complete the base layer before the Labour Day long weekend. Paving will be rescheduled to Tuesday if weather conditions, such as rain, are unfavourable.

Residents within the project area will experience driveway access restrictions during the day. Please remove all vehicles from driveways by 7 a.m. on Friday and park in the designated areas. Full access will be restored by the end of the day. Hot asphalt requires 2–3 hours to set, and during this time, vehicle access will be restricted to prevent damage to the new surface. Please follow all signage, as hot asphalt poses a burn risk and there may be tripping hazards. The contractor is working diligently to restore areas behind the curb to ensure safer walking conditions.

We thank residents again for their continued support, understanding, and cooperation with changing traffic patterns as we work to complete this project.

Next week, access to the project area will be best from Wellington Road, using Ryan, Nathan, and Vineden Streets as bypass routes. The contractor will also be completing the final stormwater upgrades between Timberlane and Timberlane, and this section will be closed to traffic.

The east stormwater system to Cowan Park has been completed, marking the end of underground work and the start of surface restoration. The County of Elgin is notifying residents at the east end of the project that curb placement will occur tomorrow, August 21st. Please remove all vehicles needed over the next four days and park on Nathan, Ryan, Vineden, or Timberlane Drive. The County of Elgin has confirmed with the City of St. Thomas that residents south of Hydro Road are permitted to park overnight in Cowan Park during the concrete curing phase. Parking on St. George Street is prohibited as it remains an active work zone. Additionally, please be cautious of the stringline placed this week, as it poses a tripping hazard.

The St. George Reconstruction Project is underway! Stormwater sewer installation at the east stormwater outlet in Cowan Park is in progress. PV-EX will be on St. George Street next week installing storm sewer from Cowan Park to the CN Rail Crossing. A detour is set up along Wellington Road and Talbot Street with St. George Street closed except to local traffic, EMS, and service providers. Roadway will be reduced to one lane during the day and delays should be expected. Access to Cowan Park (City of St. Thomas) will be maintained throughout construction. Over the next three weeks, utilizing Wellington Road to access the area is beneficial as the crew will have open excavations from Cowan Park to the CN Rail Crossing. Intermittent closures should be expected and through traffic may not be permitted except in an emergency.

Please continue to be mindful of all posted signage, directions from contractor staff and heavy equipment in the area. PV-EX has been asked to put up 30km/h signage for the duration of construction and your adherence to them is appreciated. Adhering to the speed limit will ensure safety for the contractor and travelling public and will limit dust.

Have a safe and enjoyable Canada Day long weekend.

Next week, expect the contractor to begin mobilizing on-site. Over the past week, you may have noticed ongoing utility locates to mark underground utilities to get a clear picture of what’s underground before work commences. Please be mindful as the contractor unloads materials and equipment, and maintain a safe distance from all machinery, as sightlines vary from machine to machine.

The contractor will establish a formal detour along Wellington Road and Talbot Street, which will significantly reduce through traffic. St. George Street will be closed except for local traffic, EMS, and service providers (garbage, recycling, school buses, etc.). Asphalt and concrete removals may begin as early as June 19th. A gravel roadway will be in place until base asphalt is laid, tentatively scheduled for September. The contractor may use water, calcium, or other methods to control dust throughout the summer.

For your safety, please adhere to all construction signage, and follow instructions from traffic control personnel and the contractor throughout the construction period.

The County of Elgin appreciates your cooperation and looks forward to completing these infrastructure upgrades on St. George Street.

Following careful consideration of tender submissions, Elgin County Council has awarded PV-EX Construction Ltd. the contract for the St. George Street (CR 26) Reconstruction project. With a total price of $3,279,205, the bid comes in under budget, allowing for the timely commencement of construction. This vital infrastructure initiative, part of the 2024 Capital Budget, aims to enhance transportation links in the Municipality of Central Elgin, covering a stretch of 1.1 kilometres from Wellington Road (CR 25) to the Canadian National Railway (CN) spur line. Construction is expected to begin in mid-June 2024, with substantial completion anticipated by the end of October 2024. Final asphalt paving and minor restoration will be completed in 2025.

Elgin County would also like to recognize the Government of Ontario for its funding assistance with the St. George Street Reconstruction project through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF). The Government of Ontario continues to strengthen communities through investments in the construction and repair of critical infrastructure, for which the County of Elgin is grateful to be a recipient. Elgin County received $2,650,000 as part of the OCIF program and has allocated 2024 funding to the St. George Street Reconstruction.