Parkhill's Main Street is undergoing upcoming construction for aging underground watermain infrastructure. This webpage is your one-stop source for all downtown construction updates. From here you can sign up for our monthly community newsletter or follow us on social media for the most recent updates on this project.
Parkhill businesses remain open during Main Street construction, and continue to welcome visitors year-round!
May 2023 Project Updates (updated May 18, 2023)
New concrete curbs are now being installed on Parkhill Main Street between Elginfield Road and Broadway Street. During this time, some properties on Parkhill Main Street will not be able to access their driveways, because the concrete needs time to cure and gain strength. Impacted residents and businesses are permitted to park on side streets outside of the construction limits, including overnight. On the weekend and during the evenings (7pm to 7am), local residents will be allowed to park on Parkhill Main Street within the construction limits. Just be sure to move your vehicle prior to 7am to avoid impacting the construction work!
April 2023 Project Updates (updated May 5, 2023)
The new 400 mm watermain has now been fully installed between the Parkhill Reservoir at the north end of town and Elginfield Road. Construction crews are now working on making all new water service connections to the new watermain, including properties on the west side of Parkhill Main Street and final tie-ins at the Reservoir.
While the final watermain work is ongoing, additional construction crews are working between Broadway Street and Elginfield Road on the road reconstruction. This work includes digging out the existing granular road base and replacing it to bring it up to current standards. Once the section between Broadway Street and Elginfield Road is complete, the crews will move back up to Broadway Street and work northerly from there to construction the road base.
Looking ahead to the week of May 8th and beyond, you can expect to see the following progress happening around the construction site:
- Layout for new concrete curbs will start approximately May 11th between Elginfield Road and Broadway Street. This includes installing stringline to guide the curb machine.
- Approximately May 12th, the asphalt road surface will be removed between Emily Street and King Street to prepare for road building work.
- Week of May 15th, concrete curbs will start being installed between Elginfield Road and Broadway Street.
- Water services will continue to be connected to properties on the west side of the road at the north end of town.
For the upcoming concrete curb work, there will be times when driveways on Parkhill Main Street will not be accessible to allow the concrete to cure. The contractor will be delivering notices to impacted properties in advance, and those impacted will be able to park on the street overnight.
Please remember to slow down around the construction site as well as on the detour routes on West Park Drive, King Street and Station Street.
March 2023 Project Updates (updated March 22, 2023)
Construction continues on Parkhill Main St. The new watermain is currently being installed between McLeod St and Elginfield Rd, Parkhill Main St is closed
between McLeod St and Elginfield Rd. The traffic detour is in place on Elliot Dr, West Park Dr and King St.
A reminder there is no on-street parking on Parkhill Main St during construction. Please remember to slow down and be extra careful when driving around the construction area.
SUPPORT LOCAL DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES
Shop Local and support our downtown businesses. Parking is available on Mill St behind the Post Office.
February 2023 Project Updates (updated February 13, 2023)
February 27 - Detour Map
Reminder - parking is prohibited on Parkhill Main Street during construction.
February 10 – Construction crews are continuing to make great progress on the project in multiple areas.
New watermain was installed on the south side of Elliot Drive between West Park Drive and Elginfield Road.
Following the Elliot Drive work, crews headed back to the Parkhill Main Street area to complete connections from the newly installed watermain to the existing watermains on side streets. If you live or work close to the construction area, you may have received a notice that your water service may be temporarily shut off, to allow connection of your water supply to the new watermain. Most of the watermain connections between Broad/Anna Street and Broadway/Ellen Street have now been completed, however, some are still planned to be completed the week of February 13th.
The asphalt road surface was pulverized on the east side of Parkhill Main Street between Broadway/Ellen Street and McLeod Street to prepare for new watermain construction in this phase of the project. Installation of watermain in this phase is planned to start Thursday, February 16th at Broadway/Ellen Street, and work will progress southerly from there. The road will be fully closed in the immediate vicinity of the construction work on Parkhill Main Street.
A traffic detour is currently in place on West Park Drive and King Street for vehicles to detour around the work area. Please remember to slow down and be extra careful when driving around the construction area.
January 2023 Project Update (updated January 20, 2023)
January 20 - Watermain construction is currently in phase 1B and has progressed to Broadway / Ellen Street. The next steps in phase 1B will involve testing and commissioning the watermain.
In the coming weeks, phase 3 will commence on Elliot Drive between Elginfield Road and West Park Drive installing the watermain.
Currently Parkhill Main Street is closed at Broadway / Ellen Street and detour routes are in place for motorists to navigate around construction.
Some necessary tree removal work must be completed next week between Broadway / Ellen Street and Elginfield Road. All of the trees to be removed are municipally-owned and are located in the boulevard between the sidewalk and curb.
The impacted trees will be marked with spray paint in advance of their removal. A tree protection plan has been established for remaining trees and new trees will be planted after construction is complete.
The Municipality of North Middlesex is committed to keeping you informed during construction. Please reach out to the Municipality if you have any questions.
January 9 - The Parkhill Main Street construction project has seen a lot of progress in recent weeks. Crews are well into Stage 1B of construction (Emily St/William St E to Broadway St), and the new watermain is currently installed up to approximately Hastings Street. Crews have also been busy with installing water services from the new watermain to property line.
Construction activity is currently very busy in the Main Street and Hastings Street/Mill Street area, and road closures will be periodically required to allow work to be completed efficiently and safely. Additionally, there will be sidewalk closures on the east side of Main Street to allow the new water services to be constructed from the new watermain to property line.
Please remember to slow down and drive safely when navigating around the construction area. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Municipality at 519-294-6244 ext. 223 or @email.
November 2022 Project Updates
November 28, 2022 - On Monday, November 28, 2022, the contractor moved into the next stage of construction from Emily St/William St E to Broadway St. The first task of construction in this area was to pulverize the existing asphalt road surface to prepare for the new watermain trench. Vehicle traffic will be shifted to the west side of the road and new temporary pavement markings will be installed. Once the pulverized asphalt is graded and compacted, vehicles are permitted to use this area for parking to access businesses, restaurants, etc.
November 18, 2022 - Over 300 metres of new 400 mm watermain has been installed along Parkhill Main Street from Parkhill Drive to approximately Emily St/William St E. Crews also completed some storm sewer repairs while installing the new watermain. On November 8th, a watermain break occurred in the construction area, and a repair was made and water restored later that day. In coming weeks, crews will continue watermain installation on Parkhill Main Street, progressing southerly from the Emily St/William St E intersection. In order to prepare for the next phase of watermain installation, the east parking lane on Parkhill Main Street will have the asphalt pulverized from Emily St/William St E to Broadway St. The road will remain open in both directions, and accesses to businesses and properties will be maintained at all times.
October 2022 Project Updates
October 28, 2022 - Construction started the week of October 17th, and good progress is being made. The following tasks have been completed in the last two weeks: contractor mobilized into Phase 1A (Parkhill Dr to Emily St/William St E); traffic control signage and detour signage installed; asphalt roadway pulverized for new watermain trench location; tree pruning and removals; new watermain installed on water reservoir property; existing water services and other utilities daylighted and confirmed.
October 7, 2022 - Construction is planned to start the week of October 17, 2022. A detailed construction notice has been posted to the website and will also be mailed out to residents of Parkhill and hand-delivered to Parkhill Main Street businesses. The first phase of construction will be at the north end of town, from Parkhill Drive to Emily Street / William Street East. A map of the detour route (Parkhill Dr; Station St; Mill St) is also posted to the website.
August 2022 Project Updates
August 10, 2022 - As of the August 10 meeting of council, Bre-Ex Construction Inc., was awarded the contract/project, and CIMA+ Engineering was awarded the contract administration services.
August 9, 2022 - Municipal staff were recently informed that the Ministry of Infrastructure approved a requested scope change. Baring current price escalations, the awarded ICIP grant contributions will remain the same where the project (excluding the Parkhill Reservoir Rehabilitation) may proceed by funding assistance from the Provincial and Federal governments.
Project Overview
Project Schedule (updated Oct. 7, 2022)
- Stage 1A of construction will be Parkhill Main Street, from Parkhill Drive to Emily Street / William Street East
- The contractor may continue with some construction activities through winter months, pending suitable weather conditions
Spring 2023 - Stage 2 of Construction to Begin
Construction Staging (updated Oct. 7, 2022)
Staging plans were refined and updated in consultation with the contractor after contract award
Stage 1A: Parkhill Drive to Emily Street/William Street East
- Construction of the new watermain from Parkhill Drive to Emily Street / William Street East, including replacement of service connections from the new watermain to property line.
- Testing and commissioning of the new watermain, including transferring the new water services to the existing private water services.
- Replacement of all curb and gutters, sidewalks, and asphalt paving
Stage 3: Elliot Drive/Elginfield Road, from Parkhill Main Street to West Park Drive
Traffic Controls & Access
- Road to be closed except for local access.
- Through traffic to be detoured between Elginfield Road and Parkhill Drive along West Park Drive, Mill Street, and Station Street
- Access to private property to be maintained – short-term restrictions will be permitted.
- Road to be closed except for local access.
- Through traffic to be detoured between Elginfield Road and Parkhill Main Street along West Park Drive and Mill Street.
- Access to private property to be maintained – short-term restrictions will be permitted.
- Contractor to maintain minimum one lane open at all times.
- Traffic on Elginfield Road / Elliot Drive to be controlled by flag-persons, as required.
- Parkhill Main Street fully re-opened
- Access to private property to be maintained – short-term restrictions will be permitted
Our Downtown Remains Open
Explore all that our downtown has to offer. Check back to this page for more local business highlights throughout the construction process. Please contact Economic Development if you would like to be added to the list of local businesses open on our Main St. Parkhill.
Follow our social media to stay up to date with local business highlights, features and potential offers from our business community during the construction. Think Local. Shop Local. Support Local.
Business Directory- Coming Soon
Local Business Directory Coming Soon
Arriving Here During Construction
Follow The Detour
- Follow the detour signs which are posted in advance of arriving downtown.
- A detour map for Stage 1A is posted below.
- During Stage 1A, Parkhill Main Street will be closed from Parkhill Drive to Emily Street/William Street East. Vehicles will be detoured onto: Parkhill Drive, Station Street, and Mill Street to navigate around the construction area.
Find Parking & Transit
If you are driving here, you will probably want to know where you can park for free. Parking enforcement will be lessened throughout daytime hours on side streets of Parkhill once the construction has begun. Please be mindful of standard parking restrictions and avoid obstructing accesses, fire hydrants, etc.
Our Town is a beautiful place to explore on foot. You can also take the local transit provided by Huron Shores Area Transit (HSAT). Route 4 connects Grand Bend, Parkhill, and Ailsa Craig with the Walmart Supercentre & Shops on Sydenham in Strathroy. This route runs every Tuesdays and Thursdays. HSAT's fares are $5 for all routes. Transfers between routes are free and children ages 12 and under ride free of charge. For more information, including updated bus times and schedule information, please visit the Huron Shores Area Transit Website.