NORFOLK County has notified the public that work will start on its planned reconstruction and streetscaping of Harbour Street in Port Dover between the pier and lift bridge in April.

As part of the project, the county will make part of Harbour Street a one-way street flowing easterly from St. George Street to Main Street. Drivers will no longer be able to make righthand turns onto Harbour Street from Main Street.

The scope of the project also includes:

• Partial replacement of sanitary sewer and services;
• Partial replacement of watermain and services;
• Partial replacement of storm sewer and appurtenances;
• New concrete curb and gutter;
• New asphalt road surface and granulars;
• New sidewalk and decorative concrete;
• New decorative street lighting;
• Implementation of streetscaping features.

Norfolk has not specified the streetscaping measures it will implement, which may include “decorative street lighting upgrades, decorative bollards/pedestrian delineation, decorative planters, decorative waste receptacles, decorative concrete/pavers, decorative benches etc.”

Design drawings for the project indicate it will include red asphalt crosswalks stamped with a herringbone pattern where Harbour Street intersects with Main Street.

At a Port Dover Board of Trade meeting earlier this month, county staff said elements of streetscaping along Harbour Street will largely fit with the style at Riverfront Park next to Port Dover Harbour Museum.

The large area of Harbour Street near the lift bridge will be paved and marked for parking spots.

Parking along the water at the pier will be retained. The second row of parking that currently exists closer to the beach is private property and the new road design will not include that area.

Construction is planned to start in mid-April and end before August. The county said its contractor is required to have base asphalt laid by June 11, after which the project will pause until June 16—this is to accommodate the Friday the 13th event in June of this year. After that weekend, workers will return to complete outstanding tasks.

Norfolk asks that residents avoid parking on Harbour Street. during reconstruction. All homes and businesses on the street will remain accessible by foot, though residents “may experience some delays, lack of service and inconvenience” at times.

In its notice on the project, the county said there should be no interruption of sanitary sewer service for residents, though there may be some water service disruption.

“Your existing water service will be connected at the property line to a new service from the watermain as required. The contractor and our site inspector will notify you of any interruptions to your water supply that will be required to complete this work.

“The contractor may be required to provide a temporary water system for this project. This system will be installed and tested to the same standards of Norfolk County as permanent installations.

The temporary distribution system will be connected to your existing service. This temporary system will allow for the contractor to complete the project efficiently and safely while maintaining water supply to you.

“Any disruption during the connection of your water service to the temporary system or to the new permanent system should be minimal. There may need to be interruptions of longer duration to allow for the main line connections of the new system to the existing system. You will be notified in advance of these interruptions and provided with some indication of the anticipated duration.”

During reconstruction, the county’s contractor will ensure garbage and recyclables left at the curb by homes and businesses in the impacted area are collected. Workers may move residents’ garbage and recycling receptacles but will return them “the same day.”

“Please clearly mark all containers and recycling boxes with your address so that they may be returned to the correct location. All scheduled garbage and recycling pickups shall be maintained regardless of whether the contractor is working on that day.”

Some trees “deemed to present a hazard or conflict with construction activities” may be removed during reconstruction.

Norfolk also asks residents in the affected area to let it know “if any special needs or requirements routinely occur during a day or week” so it can accommodate them.

To share comments, questions, or concerns regarding the project, contact Matt Stam, project manager, at matthew.stam@norfolkcounty.ca, or 519-426-5870 extension 8020.

—
Originally published March 19, 2025