Phase one of Entegrus’ project to install LED street lights in Chatham-Kent is complete, just in time for trick-or-treaters.
Entegrus Conservation Engineer Paul Machado says now that all the lights have been installed they’re doing some final checks to make sure they’ve reached all of their targets.
“The project's been extremely successful from an execution standpoint,” says Machado, adding they finished almost two months ahead of schedule.
Several areas have been covered under phase one including: Chatham, Dresden, Wheatley, and Mitchell’s Bay.
“The next step would be submission of the documentation required by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to provide the municipality with the incentives they applied for prior to the project beginning,” says Machado.
He says the original incentive had been in the area of $500,000. However, their original estimate of needing 6,500 replacement lights had been slightly off, which will have some effect.
"Based on the counts that we have today we're probably going to come in just over 6,200," says Machado. "So the fact that 300 lights were not replaced will definitely effect that incentive, but it'll be proportional.”
The installation of the cobrahead lights has sparked both positive and negative feedback from locals.
Machado says the positive comments are in regards to the streets being much brighter at night and the fact that the new lights are energy efficient. The negative comments circle around the lights not lighting up people's front yards like the previous street lights had.
Despite the negative comments, Machado says they'll continue on with phase two of the project.
“The positive feedback significantly outweighs the negative feedback," he says.
The second phase involves the installation of about 3,500 LED lights in areas such as Wallaceburg, Tilbury, and Bothwell.
Machado says they’re expecting to start installation on November 7. Provided that the weather allows them to work, he’s expecting the project to be completed by mid to late February.
-With files from Jake Kislinsky