No. H166/05
For release July 26, 2005
SURREY, B.C. - The Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia
today announced the construction of new on and off ramps at the current Highway
1 overpass at 192nd Street. In announcing the project, David L. Emerson,
Minister of Industry and co-Senior Minister Responsible for British Columbia, on
behalf of Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre, and British Columbia
Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon stated the new project would ease
congestion, improve safety, and result in environmental and social benefits.
"This project is an important component in advancing British Columbia's
transportation system in the Greater Vancouver Area," said Mr. Emerson. "The
continuing funding partnership between the Government of Canada and the
Province of British Columbia is making real improvements to B.C.'s highway
infrastructure possible."
"The partnership between the Government of Canada and the Province of
British Columbia is making a major difference in the infrastructure of this
province," said Mr. Lapierre. "These improvements will increase the level of
safety on Highway 1 and significantly reduce congestion."
The construction of this $2.5-million project will begin in the fall of
2005 following public consultation and is expected to be completed by March
31, 2006. The Government of Canada will contribute $900,000 while the Province
of British Columbia will contribute $1.6 million. This funding agreement is
part of the $600-million Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program announced in
April 2001.
The new highway project consists of:
an off-ramp from Highway 1 eastbound, turning north onto the 192nd
Street overpass into the heart of Port Kells business area; and
an on-ramp onto Highway 1 westbound, starting at 192nd Street
(southbound).
The 192nd Street ramps will significantly relieve traffic pressures on the
176th Street/Barnston Route.
"This project is a crucial component of building an efficient and safe
transportation infrastructure in the Lower Mainland to support a thriving
economy and growing communities," said Mr. Falcon. "The populations of Langley
and Surrey alone are projected to grow by over 85 per cent between 2003 and
2031."
The 192nd Street ramps will complement additional highway projects being
undertaken in the area including:
improvements to the interchange between Highway 1 and 200th Street;
the new Golden Ears Bridge at 200th Street, scheduled for completion in
2008;
improvements to Highway 15 (176th Street) plus the new connector road
between Golden Ears Bridge and Highway 15 via Port Kells; and
the provincial government's Gateway Program to enhance capacity on
Highway 1.
As the Greater Vancouver Region has grown and its population centre has
shifted eastward, Port Kells has become a major regional business centre. Its
strategic location near rapidly growing suburban communities with good access
to major east-west and north-south road arteries has made Port Kells an
important shipping centre for goods moving domestically and internationally.
A backgrounder with further information on the Strategic Highway
Infrastructure Program is attached.
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Contacts:
Irène Marcheterre
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Transport, Ottawa
(613) 991-0700
Vera Holiad
Communications
Transport Canada, Ottawa
(613) 993-0055
Jeff Knight
British Columbia Ministry of Transportation
Victoria, British Columbia
(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.
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BACKGROUNDER
STRATEGIC HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM
In the February 2000 budget, the Government of Canada committed to improve
the economy and the quality of life for Canadians by investing up to $600
million over five years in highway infrastructure across Canada. In April 2001,
the Government of Canada announced the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program
(SHIP). The program has two components: a $500 million highway construction
component and a $100 million national system integration component.
Under SHIP, $500 million, including $15 million in administrative costs, is
available to address the needs of Canada's highways. The program formally began
in fiscal year 2002-2003. 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 SHIP. The
formula consists of a minimum of $4 million per jurisdiction plus a share based
on population and a 50-50 cost-sharing ratio with the province. Under this
formula, the total federal allocation for the Province of British Columbia is
$61.2 million.
SHIP is providing $100 million nationally to fund initiatives that better
integrate Canada's transportation system. These include the deployment of
Intelligent Transportation Systems across Canada, improvements to border
crossings and improving 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.
Environmental assessments that meet the requirements of the Canadian
Environmental Assessment Act and British Columbia environmental approvals will
be undertaken before these projects begin. Funding for the projects is
conditional on the results of these assessments and receipt of environmental
approvals.
SHIP 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 $1.9 billion between 1993 and 2005 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.
July 2005
