Two years of construction in Petrolia’s downtown will end this week and the town is planning a party to celebrate.

The first part of the construction in 2015 stretched into late November. This year, the second phase, from Fletcher all the way to Kerby Street, started in June with the hopes the $5.3 million project could be done by the end of October.

But rain late in October slowed construction for several days. Work began in earnest again with an unseasonably warm stretch of weather.

Petrolia’s Director of Operations, Mike Thompson says paving, which was scheduled for two days, was completed in just one. Tuesday, work crews were taking down fencing and chalking the road preparing for the line painting which was expected to be completed Wednesday and Thursday.

Thompson expects the street will reopen Thursday night or Friday morning. “We want to make sure everything is dry before we open it up,” he told The Independent as he worked with construction crews marking off parking spaces Tuesday.

While the street will reopen, there will still be work to do. Streetlights will be installed for the next week. That will include paving some pieces of the sidewalk which were left open for the lights.

While the construction crews complete the job, Laurissa Ellsworth is planning a party. The director of marketing and special events says the town is planning a giant street party for Nov. 19 to celebrate the end of construction. She says some people have been “somewhat frustrated” by the construction but the majority have been patiently waiting for the work to be complete.

The town will shutdown Petrolia Line from Greenfield to Albany Street for the event which includes a street hockey tournament, barbecue and a concert.

Paving of Petrolia Line is complete and it’s expected to open by Friday.

Heather Wright Photo