Goderich - Big Dig on The Square
The Town of Goderich wants to assure visitors that, despite some big orange construction signs and a couple of small detour signs, businesses and events on The Square are open and ready to welcome you.
It was time for the town to rebuild the iconic Courthouse Square and replace some aging infrastructure. It’s an $11 million dollar project that will be spread over several phases and last two years. The whole project has been well thought out, with the construction taking place over just two blocks (one-quarter of the octagon) at a time, while keeping pedestrian access to the front of the stores.
Parking was improved in the side streets in anticipation of the project, with a municipal lot at the corner of Stanley and Kingston Streets being paved ahead of the construction start date.
Construction began at South Street and East Street and will continue until August, when that section will re-open and work will begin from South Street to West Street and last through November when the project will take a hiatus over the winter. Next summer the remaining half of the square will be completed, with the goal of having the reconstruction completed in time for the town’s bicentennial in 2027.
The improvements will include lane lines, and a reduction to two lanes from the current three-lane model, to improve safety for cars, cyclists and pedestrians.
Markets, concerts and other events are going ahead on the Courthouse Square, with extra attention being paid to traffic plans and signage to ensure everyone can get to where they need to go safely and easily.
To ensure visitors can find what they need, Goderich Tourism at 33 St. David St. (just across Kingston Street from the municipal parking lot) has all the answers.
The businesses on the Square will need your support, now more than ever, so please take the time to follow the slight detour and shop local! You will be glad that you took a little extra effort to find out why the Square has been a vital part of Huron County for nearly 200 years!