WILLIAMSTOWN, Ontario – At their meeting on Monday, Oct. 7, 2019, South Glengarry Township Council approved to go forward with a $1.3 million project to rebuild William St. in Williamstown.
South Glengarry contracted EVB Engineering to design, cost and oversee the project. At the meeting, EVB presented Council with three options for a sidewalk path along William St. that will be installed during the construction.
Option A provided for a 1.5 metre concrete sidewalk, Option B had an asphalt sidewalk, and Option C had none. Each option cost $1.3 million, $1.28 million and $1.27 million respectively.
Ewen MacDonald, the Township’s Manager of Infrastructure Services explained some of the reasons for the price tag of the project.
“We are going to replace everything like new. I completely understand, it is a huge project financially for us,” MacDonald said.
He explained that particularly the installation of a new storm sewer underneath the street and a new guardrail along the proposed path were big price tag items.
“This is a full reconstruction,” he said. “Storm sewers would have life expectancy of 60-75 years, same for the concrete. This should be a project that doesn’t need to be reconsider for several decades.”
Council ultimately voted in favour of Option A, the most expensive option. MacDonald pointed out to Council that the concrete would be long enduring and support the Township’s goal of promoting an active community.
MacDonald estimated that a tender should be ready for bid by early 2020.
