No. H130/11
For release - December 20, 2011
FREDERICTON — The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, and the Honourable Craig Leonard, Minister of Energy for New Brunswick, today marked the reopening of runway 15-33 at the Fredericton International Airport. The runway was closed for several months because of rehabilitation work that was funded jointly by the Government of Canada, the Government of New Brunswick and the Fredericton International Airport Authority (FIAA).
"I am proud to be a part of a government that recognizes the unique potential of Atlantic Canada to grow as a transportation hub for North America. Our government's investments across the region are providing tremendous economic benefits for the entire Atlantic region," said Minister Ashfield. "The completion of this runway project at the Fredericton airport will improve its safety and reliability, and will provide economic opportunities now and into the future."
"Investing in transportation infrastructure projects such as the Fredericton International Airport rehabilitation project is important for our province's economic growth," said Minister Leonard, on behalf of Economic Development Minister Paul Robichaud. "This project will help increase trade and traffic through Fredericton International Airport."
Reconstruction of the runway started on June 30, 2011. The rehabilitation project included renewing the runway surface, approach lighting, edge lighting and drainage, as well as maintaining and upgrading the taxiways related to this runway. The runway officially reopened on October 31, 2011.
David Innes, CEO of the FIAA, said the upgrades are a marked improvement for a runway that needed it. "This runway hadn't been touched in over 25 years, and the wear and tear had reduced it to a critically poor condition. Now the runway is ready to serve the growing volume of air traffic the Fredericton International Airport is now experiencing."
The rehabilitation project was completed on time and at a lower cost than the original estimate of $10.4 million. The Government of Canada contributed 50 per cent of the project cost through the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund, with the remainder provided equally by the province and the airport authority.
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Barbara Mottram
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Keith Ashfield
Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, Ottawa
613-992-3474
Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055
Bruce Macfarlane
Regional Development Corporation
506-444-4606
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