No. H042/05 For release March 18, 2005 CANADA AND ONTARIO REDUCING CONGESTION AT NIAGARA BORDER NIAGARA FALLS — Welland MP John Maloney, on behalf of federal Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre, along with Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor, on behalf of Ontario Minister of Transportation Harinder Takhar, and Niagara Falls Bridge Commission General Manager Tom Garlock, today announced that the governments of Canada and Ontario are improving a major Niagara border crossing by building a fifth lane on the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge. The addition will be built at an estimated cost of $45 million, shared equally by both governments and the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission. Major work by Rankin Construction of St. Catharines is underway, with completion slated for December 2005. This work follows the recent completion of the addition of two new truck lanes to Highway 405, the main corridor leading to the bridge. "This border improvement project will go a long way to ease traffic congestion and will benefit the people of the Niagara Region. It will relieve congestion on the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge and facilitate the movement of goods in a major trade corridor," said Mr. Maloney. "I am pleased to be here today as these improvements will help reduce congestion at the Niagara border," said Mr. Craitor. "This fifth lane will speed up cross-border flow of people and goods through our province more efficiently." The additional lane on the bridge will be designated for commercial vehicles that have security clearance under the Free and Secure Trade program, so less time is spent waiting to cross the border. This lane will connect with the newly constructed lanes on Highway 405. "We will do our best to ensure there are as few delays as possible while the reconstruction project is completed," said Mr. Garlock. "Businesses depend on safe, reliable and on-time delivery of goods and services," said Mr. Lapierre. "Increasing the bridge’s capacity to support the bi-national truck program, Free and Secure Trade, will help decrease congestion at the border and allow for a more efficient flow of goods, services and people." "The Queenston-Lewiston Bridge is Canada’s fourth busiest border crossing with over one million trucks every year," said Mr. Takhar. "It is vital to the provincial economy that we keep the $36 billion in goods carried annually across this border moving efficiently." "Today’s announcement is good news for the Niagara area, because a freer-flowing border crossing will make it easier for our American neighbours to visit the region’s many attractions," said Minister of Tourism and Recreation and St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley. "Increased tourism means a stronger and more prosperous Ontario." The Government of Canada’s investment comes from the $600 million Border Infrastructure Fund. The fund is designed to contribute to projects that reduce border congestion, improve the flow of goods and services and expand infrastructure capacity over the medium term. Provincial funding for this project is part of the Ontario government’s investment of nearly $1 billion in highway infrastructure this year to improve safety, ease congestion and save drivers time. This announcement is further demonstration of the Government of Canada’s commitment, through the New Deal for Cities and Communities, to work with provincial, territorial and municipal governments to improve the quality of life of Canadians. - 30 - Contacts: Irene Marcheterre Director of Communications Office of the Minister of Transport, Ottawa (613) 991-0700 Danna O¿Brien Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Toronto (416) 327-1815 Jacques Gravel Communications, Transport Canada, Ottawa (613) 993-0055 Bob Nichols Ontario Ministry of Transportation Toronto (416) 327-1158 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. Ontario Ministry of Transportation is online at www.mto.gov.on.ca BACKGROUNDER BORDER INFRASTRUCTURE FUND In Budget 2001, the Government of Canada announced its intention to provide $600 million to support improved efficiency at Canada’s borders. The Border Infrastructure Fund is a comprehensive approach towards sustaining and increasing the long-term safety and efficiency of the Canada-U.S. border. It encompasses physical infrastructure and intelligent transportation systems, and helps support analytical capacity which will provide decision makers with better information on border issues as they pertain to congestion. In the wake of the events of September 11, 2001, the Government of Canada renewed its commitment to public and economic security by signing a declaration for the creation of a Smart Border for the 21st century between the United States and Canada. The Smart Border Action Plan is supported by four pillars: secure flow of people, secure flow of goods, secure infrastructure, and coordination and information sharing in the enforcement of these objectives. The Border Infrastructure Fund is being implemented in cooperation with provincial, territorial and municipal governments, academic and research institutes, and with partners from the public and private sectors on both sides of the border, to form an integral component of the Smart Border Action Plan. The two central objectives of the Border Infrastructure Fund are to support the Smart Border Action Plan by reducing border congestion and to expand existing infrastructure capacity over the medium term to support ongoing economic growth. In fulfilling these objectives, funding is largely targeted towards major crossings, such as Windsor, Sarnia, Niagara Falls and Fort Erie, in Ontario and Douglas, British Columbia. The Government of Canada makes a maximum contribution of 50 per cent towards the total eligible costs of each project. All projects are selected under the authority of the Minister of State (Infrastructure and Communities) based on the following investment criteria: mitigation of congestion; enhancement of system capacity; coordination with adjacent U.S. border facility and road access network; support for implementation of the Smart Border Action Plan; enhancement of safety and security at border crossings; and financial participation of other public and private sector partners. March 2005
