Sarnia's Plank Rd. June 2, 2017 (Photo by Josh Boyce)Sarnia's Plank Rd. June 2, 2017 (Photo by Josh Boyce)
Sarnia

Plank Road project pushed to 2022

Construction plans for Sarnia's "worst road" will not take place this year as planned due to supply issues that stem from February's harsh winter storm in Texas.

A report will go to Sarnia City Council on Monday, to outline the status of the Plank Road.

Phase one of the project, which involved water main and road construction, was expected to take place this year after the project received funding from the federal government in 2019.

The plan was to replace Plank Road from Highway 40 to Indian Road, with the first phase set between Indian Road and McGregor Side Road. However, the first phase of the project has been delayed until the spring of 2022 because of material shortages for the watermain pipe.

"The type of pipe we're using for that, there has been a global supply shortage. A lot of that started when there was that big freeze down in Texas, that's where the pipe comes from so that's pushed everyone back," said General Manager of Engineering and Operations David Jackson. "All municipalities across North America are having this problem with this pipe."

The weather event in Texas forced many chemical plants to shut down as a result of widespread power outages. Jackson said other factors which contributed to plant closures were related to the pandemic. As stated in the report, "Texas is home to one of the world's largest petrochemical areas."

Jackson said phase one of the project was supposed to start at the beginning of July but delivery was continuously pushed back. Now, the specified pipe is expected to be delivered in early November.

"That's too late for us to want to start the project and rip up the road because we wouldn't be able to get new asphalt down before the winter hits," he said.

Financial implications due to a delayed start to the project is expected to be minor. Jackson said the city is currently working with the contractor regarding possible inflation increases.

"We're sympathetic to the contractor here. There was really nothing they could do to get the pipe here sooner," said Jackson. "They're at the mercy of the broader global supply chain and so we'll work with them on making sure we're fair on dealing with that."

Jackson said the delay of the project's first phase may cause some challenges down the road in regards to phase two, which spans between McGregor Road to Highway 40.

"That was going to be a separate contractor with a separate contract. So now, that could be tricky for us in keeping parts of the road open if we have two contractors working at the same time," he said.

Plank Road was voted as the worst road in southwestern Ontario in 2019 through CAA’s regional list.

Meantime, the report going to council also includes an update on the Gladwish Drive Reconstruction project. Work on the Gladwish Drive West portion is currently underway and road construction is expected to be complete by the end of October. The water main on Gladwish Drive will be installed in November.

Monday's virtual council meeting is scheduled to start at 10 a.m.

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