Residents in Sault Ste. Marie should prepare for construction-related delays as a major reconstruction project on East Street is set to begin on May 11, 2026. The City of Sault Ste. Marie will close the road from Bay Street to Wellington Street for approximately six months to facilitate the replacement of aging underground infrastructure and a full surface reconstruction.
The $6 million project, awarded to Boyer Construction, involves installing new storm and sanitary sewers and water mains. Once the underground work is complete, the project will refresh the area with a new asphalt roadway, curbs, and sidewalks. New additions to the streetscape will include a 1.8-metre concrete sidewalk, a 1.8-metre cycle track separated from traffic, and new benches and bicycle racks to support the city’s waterfront master plan.
The construction will force changes to transit and local traffic patterns. Two major bus routes will be detoured: the Eastside bus will travel via Brock Street, Bay Street, and Church Street, while the Great Northern bus will be rerouted using Bay Street, Brock Street, and Wellington Street. Additionally, the intersection of Queen Street and East Street will be fully closed for about eight weeks in mid-summer, likely between mid-July and mid-September. During this time, parts of Queen Street will temporarily change from one-way to two-way traffic for local access.
The work on East Street is part of a broader push to address the city’s infrastructure needs, with the 2026 budget dedicating over 58 per cent of capital funding toward roads, bridges, and storm sewers. While construction is expected to reach substantial completion by late fall 2026, the final surface asphalt work is planned for 2027.
