Transportation

Funding of $29.2 million for N.B. highway improvements (02/09/13)

NB 904

Sept. 13, 2002

DIEPPE (CNB) - An agreement to provide joint funding of $29.2 million until March 2006 for highway improvement projects in New Brunswick was announced today by Transport Canada Minister David Collenette, Labour Minister Claudette Bradshaw, New Brunswick Transportation Minister Percy Mockler, and New Brunswick Family and Community Services Minister Joan MacAlpine.

This agreement is part of the $600 million Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP) announced by Collenette in April 2001.

"I am pleased to announce that the Government of Canada is providing an additional $14.6 million in funding for New Brunswick highways through this agreement," Collenette said. "Continuing the partnership between the Government of Canada and the Province of New Brunswick is a very important element in making real improvements to our highway infrastructure."

"Federal and provincial investment in highways is beneficial from both a safety and economic perspective," Bradshaw said. "SHIP will contribute to the prime minister's commitment to completing the construction of a four-lane Trans-Canada Highway in New Brunswick on a 50-50 shared cost basis, announced on August 14."

"I'm very pleased the Province and the federal government have been able to work together as partners to come to this agreement," Mockler said. "All of these dollars will be invested in the province's effort to complete the twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway. The completion

of this necessary work will increase safety, improve quality of life and help to grow the economy of New Brunswick."

"The Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program complements the provincial government's plan to bring greater prosperity to New Brunswickers by investing in key infrastructure such as the

Trans-Canada Highway, which connects all of New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada to the rest of North America," MacAlpine said.

In addition to the agreement, five construction projects on the Trans-Canada Highway Route 2 were announced:

• $10 million in joint funding will be allocated for the twinning of a 5.2 kilometre section of Route 2, and portions of a 28.5 kilometre by-pass south of Route 2, between Woodstock and Pokiok.

• $8.1 million in joint funding will be allocated for the twinning of a 3.4 kilometre section of Route 2, from a location approximately 1.5 kilometres west of the Longs Creek interchange, to the Route 2/Route 635 interchange. Ramps at the Route 2/Route 635 intersection will also be upgraded, and a service road will be constructed;



• $4.1 million in joint funding will be allocated for the construction of a new interchange and grade separation at the Route 2/Lockhart Mill road interchange at Jacksonville;

• $3.5 million in joint funding will be allocated for the construction of eastbound and westbound ramps that serve Route 2, at Edmundston; and



• $3.5 million in joint funding will be allocated for the replacement, relocation, and reconfiguration of two eastbound ramps that connect Route 2 and Route 110, in Florenceville.

The total contribution for improvements to the Trans-Canada Highway in New Brunswick under SHIP is $29.2 million. This agreement is part of the $600 million Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP) announced by Collenette in April 2001.

A backgrounder on SHIP can be found at: http://www.tc.gc.ca/SHIP/menu.htm.

02/09/13

MEDIA CONTACTS: Anthony Polci, director of communications, Office of the Minister, Ottawa, 613-991-0700l; Tracey Burkhardt, director of communications, New Brunswick
Department of Transportation, 506-453-5634.

02/09/13