The Town of Essex is getting set to launch a road construction project that will last until the fall.
Work on the Irwin Avenue reconstruction project is tentatively scheduled to begin the week of May 13 and is not expected to be completed until the end of October.
Irwin Avenue travels behind Essex Town Hall.
Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy says the work is badly needed.
"We're doing Irwin Avenue from Arthur Avenue to Gosfield Townline, East Brien Avenue from Talbot Street to Irwin Avenue, and Wellington Avenue from Talbot Street to Irwin Avenue," she says. "So there are some little roads in there as well. All new storm sewers, watermains, pavement, and sidewalks."
Bondy says they're asking everyone for patience during the work.
"We desperately need this road done. We're really happy that the project came in under budget. It's one of those roads right now that you don't even want to drive down because it's so bumpy," she says.
Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy says part of the town's strategic plan is to spend more on roads and this project is expensive.
"We're talking in the millions of dollars—over $3 million. It's not something you can just do overnight, you have to budget for it, you have to plan for it. We did use some of our provincial grant money for it. We did use some of our provincial grant money for it. So it's a big project, the engineering is big," she adds.
The town set aside about $4.3 million for the project, but the tender came in at just under $3.5 million, around $850,000 under budget.
Â