The York Street reconstruction has begun, and will run from now through May 2026 with a long break during the winter.

A large sanitary sewer must be replaced and a new watermain installed under the road. Digging up the road offers an opportunity to replace its asphalt and granular base, and install new curbs and gutters. 

A 1.5 metre sidewalk will run opposite The Regent Theatre. A handrail was added to the design after concerns about the safety and accessibility of the steeply graded laneway were made clear during public consultations. 

Construction by Cobourg Development Services will mean traffic disruption. Downtown Picton Main Street will be reduced to a single lane from December 1 to 12. Mary Street will be fully closed on October 27-28. 

“The contractor will implement a traffic control plan,” said Mark Spiers, Project Manager at Wills Associates, the County’s consulting firm for the reconstruction. “Part of the traffic control will include contact personnel so any issues can be reported.”

“Every effort to minimize the disruption of traffic is on our minds,” he added.

During deep serving work between October 27 and December 12, access to the buildings surrounding the laneway will be limited, but the doctors’ office and other businesses will remain open as usual.

“On York Street itself it will be limited to the local access only, so that will be patients of the doctors clinic, residents of those buildings, The Regent Theatre, and residents at the bottom of the hill,” said Mr. Spiers. 

Construction will shut down for the winter after December 12 and resume May 4. The spring portion of the project will not have any impact on Picton Main Street.