Provincial funding has come through for Sarnia-Lambton's long-planned oversized load corridor.
MPP Bob Bailey announced Tuesday that the Ontario government is providing $1.5 million through the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund.
The cost of the four-year project has increased from $12 million to $17 million, partly due to higher than estimated costs of electrical improvements. It's being funded jointly by the federal, provincial and municipal governments along with contributions from Bluewater Power and Cestar College, which is affiliated with Lambton College.
Bailey said he's extremely pleased the province is making the investment in the project.
“As a community, we have been working on getting the funding for this project for nearly a decade," Bailey said in a news release. "Despite being turned down by the previous government, locally we never gave up. This investment by the Ontario government is coming at just the right time as the economy starts to reopen. This project will help to support our world-class fabrication shops and local industry by making it easier to move large industrial components and machinery to and from Sarnia Harbour."
Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli said it's an exciting day for Sarnia-Lambton.
“This project will create and maintain an oversized load corridor that will increase the existing capacity of the Port of Sarnia and road networks to facilitate the transportation of oversized loads from local industrial fabricators and manufacturers to national and overseas markets."
Project Manager Lyle Johnson said the 27-kilometre project involves widening curbs, raising and burying utility lines, placing traffic signals on movable swivels, and creating a dock at the end of Exmouth Street.
"Our envelope is 30 feet high, 30 feet wide, and 150 feet long from tip to tip," said Johnson. "And to have clear access, unobstructed, along the entire route basically from the new dock on Exmouth Street, down the corridor route which is close to 27 kilometres. It hits most of the major fabricators, and some of the industry."
The city has pledged $4.7 million, the county $1.2 million, and St. Clair Township, $75,000.
Transport Canada has committed $6 million and Toronto-based Cestar College provided a $4 million gift.
The Sarnia-Lambton Industrial Alliance also pledged $10,000.
Bluewater Power is crediting $2 million to the project for a funding total of nearly $19 million.
Work began in 2019 and is expected to continue until 2023.