No. H105/06
For release September 9, 2006
OPENING OF LAST PAVED PORTION OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM
YELLOWKNIFE Mike Lake, M.P (Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont), on behalf of the
Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and
Communities, and Northwest Territories Transportation Minister the Honourable
Michael McLeod, today announced the completion of the highway from the Northwest
Territories and Alberta border to Hay River and Yellowknife.
"With the reconstruction and paving of this final 30-kilometre section of
Highway 3 near Yellowknife, I am pleased to announce the completion of the core
National Highway System," said Mr. Lake. "Investments in northern transportation
infrastructures promote economic development in the region and reflect the
Government of Canada's commitment to improving the quality of life of
Canadians."
"These highway improvements will benefit people living, working and visiting in
the Northwest Territories," said Minister McLeod. "A safer, more efficient
transportation system will provide the framework needed to support the continued
economic growth of the territory."
The completion of Highway 3, which has the highest traffic volumes of the
Northwest Territories' intercommunity highways, will increase safety, improve
access for the mining industry, improve driving conditions in winter and enhance
tourism opportunities.
This $28-million project to complete the last section of Highway 3 was
cost-shared equally by the two governments and is part of the $130-million
Corridors for Canada projects funded under the Canada Strategic Infrastructure
Fund (CSIF).
Through CSIF, 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. CSIF supports large-scale strategic
infrastructure projects that improve quality of life and further sustainable
growth.
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Contacts:
Natalie Sarafian
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities, Ottawa
613-991-0700
Linda LicariCommunications
Transport Canada, Ottawa613-993-0055
Bob Kelly Manager, Public Affairs and CommunicationsDepartment of Transportation, Northwest Territories867-873-7712
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
NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM
In response to growing recognition of the importance of highway transportation to the Canadian economy and the need for action to preserve Canada's highway infrastructure, in 1987, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety commissioned a multi-year National Highway Policy Study, which established criteria that could be applied in each region of the country to define a National Highway System.
As a result, the National Highway System was first defined and endorsed in 1988 by the Council of Ministers and included more than 24,300 kilometres of existing primary routes that support inter-provincial and international trade and travel by connecting, as directly as possible, a capital city, or major provincial population or commercial centre in Canada with:
another major provincial population or commercial centre;
another major population or commercial centre in an adjacent province or territory;
a major port of exit or entry with the United States; and
another transportation mode directly served by the highway mode, for example, ferry terminals.
In September 2003, the Council of Deputy Ministers responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety directed a committee of officials to undertake the first-ever review of the highway system route designation and assess whether conditions have changed since 1988, as some existing provincial and territorial routes could now satisfy the criteria originally used to identify the system.
Any changes to the system are subject to the approval of the Council of Ministers. Therefore, on September 23, 2004, as a result of demographic, social and economic changes over the past 15 years, the Council of Ministers agreed to add approximately 2,700 kilometres of strategic and nationally important highway routes to the existing 1988 National Highway System, an 11 per cent increase. These 2004 additions, along with the 1988 system designations, are now considered the core system.
In addition, the Council of Ministers also agreed to establish a working group to develop criteria to identify additional routes that, if agreed upon, would primarily represent highways that are important from a provincial, territorial and regional perspective.
The task force completed its work and recommended the Ministers approve the addition of close to 4,500 kilometres of feeder routes and over 5,900 kilometres of northern and remote routes to the system. The task force also recommended over 500 kilometres of key intermodal connectors and close to 100 kilometres of corrections be added under the core routes.
The task force recommendations were approved by the Council of Ministers on September 22, 2005. The National Highway System now consists of over 38,000 kilometres of highways that are important from a national and regional perspective. This amounts to a 56 per cent increase in the network length over what was approved in 1988.
Corridors for Canada (investment of $65 million)
The Government of Canada has committed a total of $65 million for the Corridors for Canada program, which is designed to improve highway infrastructure in the Northwest Territories. Projects funded under the program will contribute to economic growth by improving access to oil and gas resources and facilitating the construction of pipelines. The projects will also help improve the safety of local residents and tourists.
The Corridors for Canada program is divided into two phases. The first phase of the program has involved the reconstruction of highway segments on the Dempster Highway and in the Slave Province Transportation Corridor, and the construction of bridges on the Mackenzie Valley Winter Road. The Governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories have signed an agreement under the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF) to cost-share the $40 million associated with this phase of the program.
The second phase of the Corridors for Canada program will include the construction of additional bridges and selective grade improvements on the Mackenzie Valley Winter Road; additional upgrades on the Dempster Highway (No.8) and the Slave Province Transportation Corridor (Highways No.3 and No.4); the upgrading of the Mackenzie Highway (No.1); and the upgrading of the Liard Highway (No.7). The Government of Canada will contribute $45 million of the total cost of $90 million for this phase of the program.
September 2006
