A new Lambton County gateway sign along Highway 402 in Warwick Township is expected to be in place by this spring.
A request for an update on the project was brought up by Councillor Bill Weber during a Lambton County committee meeting on Wednesday.
General Manager of Infrastructure & Development Services Jason Cole said the county awarded a tender over the holiday break to KWS Electrical Services out of London and a site meeting was held last week.
Cole said the contractor plans to start construction of the sign in February with a project completion date set for June 2022.
"We're really excited to have a contractor come on board and [have] a construction schedule for the gateway sign," said Cole in an interview with Sarnia News Today. "We know this project has been a long time coming and seeing the progress since the sign design was finalized in October is wonderful to see."
Cole said construction will be weather dependent but the contractor believes they'll be able to follow the set timeline.
"There's quite a bit of prep work that needs to be done. The sign needs to be constructed itself and there's other aspects of that design that need to be secured and laid out," said Cole. "We're hoping, and the contractor's hoping, to be able to get that work done and use good weather periods in order to do earthworks and foundations, and things like that."
A location for the gateway sign, just east of the Nauvoo Road exit on the westbound Hwy. 402, was approved in 2020.
The county had previously approved the allocation of $75,000 in funding for the sign through the 2016 budget from the opportunities and contingency reserve. However, the cost increased substantially due to various factors such as an increase in construction values, structural requirements, and necessary site work.
As stated in a 2021 report to council, additional revenue to fund the project was found in the county's 2021 surplus within the roads operating budget.
Cole said the end tender came in at just under $200,000.
"We are looking at some ways to mitigate those costs but right now, that's where we're standing."
Cole said the sign's design will be modern looking and will tie into the "Discoveries That Matter" theme, as previously approved.
