No. H 133/09
For release - September 21, 2009
EDMONTON — Mr. Mike Lake, Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont, and the Honourable Luke Ouellette, Alberta Minister of Transportation, participated in a groundbreaking event today to kick off construction of two interchanges on Anthony Henday Drive to relieve traffic congestion and improve safety.
"The Government of Canada is supporting infrastructure projects that will boost the economy and create jobs for Canadians," said Mr. Lake. "We are pleased to be working together with the Government of Alberta to build these interchanges and provide opportunities for the people of this community and province to promote long-term economic growth."
The governments of Canada and Alberta will each contribute $22.3 million to the $44.6-million project that will be complete in the fall of 2011.
"The new interchanges at Callingwood Road and Lessard Road will improve safety for motorists and relieve congestion on the southwest section of Anthony Henday Drive," said Minister Ouellette. "By starting the project this year, the two interchanges will open alongside the Stony Plain Road interchange and the new 21-kilometre northwest leg of the Henday in fall 2011."
The Government of Canada's 2009 Economic Action Plan is accelerating and expanding the existing federal investment of $33 billion in infrastructure across Canada with almost $12 billion in new infrastructure stimulus funding over two years. These investments will help Canada emerge from this economic downturn with a more modern, safer and greener infrastructure that will be the foundation of sustainable long-term economic growth.
Central to Alberta's Budget 2009 is Alberta's Capital Plan, which supports $7.7 billion in 2009-2010 to build roads, health care facilities, schools and other public infrastructure. This year's investment alone will support more than 80,000 jobs across the economy, directly benefiting Albertans and Alberta communities. This capital investment complements the government's four-point plan for economic recovery, which calls for keeping a close eye on government spending, drawing down savings to protect the programs and services Albertans depend on, continuing to invest in public infrastructure to support jobs and the economy, and promoting the province to a global market while working to reduce the costs of doing business.
To learn more about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
For more information on the Edmonton Ring Road, visit www.transportation.alberta.ca.
– 30 –
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at www.tc.gc.ca/e-news and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.
This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons living with visual disabilities.
