No. GC005/03For release - May 1, 2003
Fredericton (New Brunswick) April 30, 2003 — Industry Minister and Minister responsible for Infrastructure, Allan Rock, together with Transport Minister David Collenette and Labour Minister and Minister responsible for New Brunswick, Claudette Bradshaw, Premier Bernard Lord, and New Brunswick Transportation Minister Percy Mockler today announced that their respective governments agreed on a joint $400 million commitment to complete the twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway in the province. This follows the announcement made last August by Prime Minister Chrétien and Premier Lord towards this project.
"The $200 million contribution will help complete the twinning of the Trans Canada Highway in New Brunswick in five years," said Minister Rock. "I am very proud that this agreement here in New Brunswick is the first one to be signed under the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund."
"The Province of New Brunswick is pleased to provide $200 million to complete the four-lane Trans-Canada Highway in our province," said Premier Bernard Lord. "By building strategic infrastructure, such as highways, we can improve our competitiveness and bring greater prosperity to our province and to all of Atlantic Canada."
"I am pleased that the Government of Canada is supporting this project," said Minister Collenette. "This highway improvement project will enhance public safety, facilitate the flow of traffic and benefit visitors and trade."
"Today is an important milestone in our work to complete the twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway," Minister Mockler said. "My department will issue the first contracts through the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund agreement this construction year.
"I am particularly pleased that this investment from the Government of Canada will help improve trade and tourism throughout New Brunswick and eastern Canada by providing better access to markets in central Canada and the United States," said Minister Bradshaw.
The Trans-Canada Highway is a vital transportation link for New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada. It is the major highway carrying commercial and passenger traffic from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, to the rest of Canada and to key markets in the United States.
The agreement signed today will allow for the twinning of 130 km of Route 2 between Longs Creek and Pokiok; between Woodstock and Perth-Andover; and between Aroostook and Grand Falls.
Through the $2-billion Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, the Government of Canada works with provincial, territorial and municipal governments, as well as with the private sector, to meet strategic infrastructure needs throughout the country. These investments are directed to large-scale projects of major national and regional significance, in areas that are vital to sustaining economic growth and supporting an enhanced quality of life for Canadians.
In the Speech from the Throne of September 30, 2002, the Government of Canada committed to an additional 10-year involvement in public infrastructure. Its Budget 2003 reaffirmed this long-term commitment and provided an additional $3 billion for strategic and municipal infrastructure. In combination with the $5.25 billion in infrastructure programs announced in Budget 2000 and 2001, this brings the Government of Canada's recent investment in the nation's infrastructure to over $8 billion.
Today's signing also addresses an action priority of Greater Opportunity: New Brunswick's Prosperity Plan 2002-2012, the provincial government's 10-year plan to bring lasting prosperity and greater opportunity to New Brunswickers. Under the plan, the provincial government committed to negotiating a new agreement to complete the full twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway across New Brunswick.
This latest investment brings the Government of Canada's total contribution to highway infrastructure in New Brunswick since 1993 to nearly $625 million.
Funding for this project was, provided for in the February 2003 Government of Canada Budget and is therefore built into its existing financial framework.
For more information on Infrastructure Canada and its programs, please visit: http://www.infrastructurecanada.gc.ca
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Contacts:
Amy ButcherPress SecretaryOffice of the Minister of Transport(613) 991-0700
Selena BeattiePress SecretaryOffice of the Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Infrastructure(613) 995-9001
Chisholm PothierOffice of the Premier of New Brunswick(506) 444-2286
Tracey BurkhardtDirector of Communications New BrunswickDepartment of Transportation(506) 453-5634
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at www.tc.gc.ca/e-news and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.
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BACKGROUNDER
COMPLETION OF THE FOUR-LANETRANS-CANADA HIGHWAY IN NEW BRUNSWICK
The Project
When complete, the four-lane Trans-Canada Highway (Route 2) through New Brunswick will be 516 km in length from the Nova Scotia border to the Quebec border. Approximately 130 km, or 25 per cent, remain to be twinned from two lanes to four.
Three major sections of the highway remain to be twinned:
30 kilometres from Longs Creek to Pokiok;
70 kilometres from Woodstock to Perth-Andover; and
30 kilometres from Aroostook to Grand Falls.
The project involves $400 million in new investment, cost-shared on a 50-50 basis by the federal and provincial governments to complete the construction of a four-lane divided Trans-Canada Highway in New Brunswick from the Nova Scotia border to the Quebec border
Benefits
Accelerating the twinning of the Route 2 portion of the Trans-Canada Highway is a priority for both governments and has several important benefits:
The Trans-Canada is the main highway linking Atlantic Canada to the rest of Canada;
Accelerating the twinning of the Trans-Canada will improve trade and tourism by providing better access to markets in central Canada and the United States;
The project will improve safety and reduce accidents on the route from Fredericton to the Quebec border; and
Transportation costs and travel time will be reduced by providing a safe and efficient high-speed highway all the way from Halifax, Nova Scotia to the Quebec border. In New Brunswick, the speed limit on Route 2 will be 110 km/hr from border to border.
Timeline
The project will provide for the completion of a four-lane Trans-Canada Highway (Route 2) in New Brunswick in five years.
The New Investment
This new investment brings the Government of Canada's total contribution to highway infrastructure in New Brunswick since 1993 to nearly $625 million.
