No. H024/05 For release February 16, 2005 YAHK WEIGH SCALE EXPANSION EASES CONGESTION ON HIGHWAY 3 OTTAWA – David L. Emerson, Minister of Industry and co-Senior Minister Responsible for British Columbia, on behalf of Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre, together with British Columbia Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon and Nelson-Creston MLA Blair Suffredine, today announced a $2.4 million expansion of the Yahk Weigh Scale at the junction of Highways 3 and 95 in eastern British Columbia, increasing highway safety and weigh scale capacity. "I am pleased this important project is moving forward," said Minister Emerson. "Improving access to the Yahk Weigh Scale will help to eliminate congestion and improve safety on this heavily used and internationally significant truck route." "The Government of Canada is demonstrating its commitment to improving the efficiency of our highways," said Minister Lapierre. "By working with the Province of British Columbia, we are able to enhance our current highway system and move towards our goal of creating the best possible transportation system for Canadians." The Yahk weigh scale serves north-south truck traffic using the Kingsgate border crossing and east-west traffic along Crowsnest Highway 3. The collision rate adjacent to the weigh scale site is higher than the provincial average for similar facilities. The project will improve both the scale capacity and highway safety through a new single access lane to the weigh scale, expansion of the weigh scale and improvements to the Highway 3 and 95 intersection. "Highway congestion, especially at border crossings, drives up the costs of shipping our goods which then affects our competitive edge," said Minister Falcon. "This new expansion will improve traffic flow for all vehicles and most importantly, increase driver safety." Truck traffic at the junction of Highways 3 and 95 has increased in the last 10 years and now represents over 20 per cent of highway traffic using this route. "This will give the community of Yahk a more substantial economic base as it gives them more opportunity to cater to truckers who will be stopping at the scales," said Mr. Suffredine. "It’s great to see different levels of government come to the table, work together and deliver something substantial to this community." Construction will begin this April and is scheduled for completion in October 2005. The Government of Canada provided funding of $900,000, while the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation contributed $1.6 million under the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program. Under the SHIP agreement, the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia are providing joint funding of $122.4 million until March 2006 for transportation improvement projects in the province. The Canada/B.C. Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program agreement, signed March 5, 2002, is part of the national $600 million Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program announced in April 2001. Funding for this initiative was provided for in the March 2004 federal budget. A backgrounder with further information on the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program is attached. - 30 - Contacts: Irène Marcheterre Director of Communications Office of the Minister of Transport, Ottawa (613) 991-0700 Stephanie Leblanc Press Secretary Office of the Honourable David L. Emerson Minister of Industry (613) 995-9001 Vera Holiad Communications Transport Canada, Ottawa (613) 993-0055 Jeff Knight British Columbia Ministry of Transportation, Victoria (250) 356-7707 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. BACKGROUNDER STRATEGIC HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM – BRITISH COLUMBIA The Government of Canada is committed to improving the economy and the quality of life for Canadians by investing in highway infrastructure across Canada. As part of this commitment, Transport Canada announced the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program in April 2001. The program has two components: a $500 million highway construction component and a $100 million national system integration component. The Government of Canada is working with the provinces and territories to identify those parts of the national highway system that – because of growing traffic and increasing trade – need immediate attention. This will result in a safer and more efficient highway system for all Canadians. An allocation formula has been developed to distribute the $485 million available to the provinces and territories for road construction under the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program. The formula consists of a minimum of $4 million per jurisdiction plus a share based on population and a 50-50 cost-sharing ratio. Under this formula, the total federal allocation for the Province of British Columbia is $61.2 million. British Columbia has also been allocated over $14 million under the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program to improve border crossings. Under previous joint highway funding agreements since 1987, Transport Canada contributed $48 million to British Columbia. This brings the total funding from Transport Canada to $123.2 million. Before any project begins, an environmental assessment is undertaken that meets the requirements of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Funding for projects is conditional on the results of the assessment and receipt of environmental approvals. Under the second component of the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program, the government provides $100 million nationally to fund initiatives that better integrate the transportation system. These include the deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems across Canada, improvements to border crossings and better transportation planning. Intelligent Transportation Systems include applications such as advanced systems for traveller information, traffic management, public transport, commercial vehicle operations, emergency response management and vehicle safety. The Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program continues the Government of Canada¿s long tradition of highway funding that started more than 80 years ago. In fact, Transport Canada will have invested more than $1.7 billion between 1993 and 2003 to improve highways across Canada. The federal government also invests in transportation-related infrastructure through other programs such as the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund and the Border Infrastructure Fund. For more information on the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program, please visit www.tc.gc.ca/SHIP/menu.htm. For more information on the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund and the Border Infrastructure Fund, please visit www.infrastructurecanada.gc.ca. February 2005
