No. H123/04 For release December 8, 2004 GATINEAU ¿ Julie Boulet, Quebec Minister responsible for Transport, along with Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre, Benoît Pelletier, Quebec Minister responsible for the Outaouais region, Norman MacMillan, MNA (Papineau), Françoise Boivin, MP (Gatineau), David Smith, MP (Pontiac), and Marcel Proulx, MP (Hull-Aylmer), today announced the upcoming opening of the 12-km Highway 50 Buckingham Bypass on December 9, 2004. The bypass also connects to a new section of Route 309 in the municipality of L'Ange Gardien. The construction was completed at a cost of $57.5 million with the Government of Quebec contributing $47.7 million and the Government of Canada contributing $9.8 million as part of the Outaouais Road Agreement to improve the road network in the National Capital Region. The work involved the following projects: construction of a four-lane divided highway between Route 309 and Findlay Road; construction of a railway structure above Highway 50; and construction of a two-lane road and a traffic circle at the intersection of Route 309 and Route 315 The Government of Quebec also funded the construction of a two-lane highway between Findlay and Doherty with two passing lanes, and construction of two interchanges at Lépine and Doherty. "The Highway 50 extension is a priority for the government of Quebec and I am very pleased with the progress we have made," said Mrs. Boulet. "The new section that is being opened today is the first to be built in Outaouais since 1984. Construction is currently underway on the 6-km Doherty-Laurin section of Highway 50 which reflects the continuous evolution of this highway." "This project demonstrates the Government of Canada¿s commitment to improving strategic infrastructure and enhancing our road network and trade corridors," said Mr. Lapierre. "The addition of Highway 50 to the National Highway System means it is now eligible to receive federal funding for improvements." "I am very proud of the advances that have been made on this project as it is critical for the economic and commercial development of the Outaouais region," said Mr. Pelletier. "Highway 50 is not only a major construction project, it is a priority for the Government of Quebec. It is the reason why we were recently able to have Highway 50 added to the National Highway System." "The opening of this new segment of highway is great news for the residents of Papineau," said Mr. McMillan. "Their patience has paid off and they now have a safer road more suitable to handling the volume of traffic in their region. We are committed to making additional improvements to Highway 50 over the coming years." "The Government of Canada is pleased to have supported this project on Highway 50," said Mrs. Boivin. "This project was a priority for me during the last election campaign. The Government of Canada has always recognized the importance of Highway 50 to the Outaouais Region." Canada¿s National Highway System consists of over 25,000 kilometres of highways. Highway 50 was one of the highways identified in September 2004 by the Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety for inclusion. It was included because of its strategic importance to both Canada and Quebec in moving people and goods efficiently, effectively and safely. Federal funding for this initiative was provided for in the March 2004 federal budget. - 30 - Contacts: Irène Marcheterre Director of Communications Office of the Minister of Transport, Ottawa (613) 991-0700 Patricia Hélie Office of the Quebec Minister responsible for Transport, Quebec City (418) 643-6980 Jacques Gravel Communications Transport Canada, Ottawa (613) 993-0055 Sophie Jacob Transports Québec Communications Advisor (819) 772-3107 ext. 236 Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada. This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities.
