Government Partnership to replace the Souris Bridge and help improve the National Highway System
August 12, 2014 – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island – Infrastructure Canada
The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Regional Minister for PEI and Member of Parliament for Egmont, was joined today by Robert Vessey, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal for Prince Edward Island, to announce the first eligible projects in Prince Edward Island under the New Building Canada Fund. The Government of Canada has set aside up to $5.68 million to support the replacement of the Souris Bridge, as well as three improvement projects to the National Highway System (NHS) in Prince Edward Island.
Constructed in 1976, the current Souris Bridge is showing signs of aging. The federal funding announced today will enable its replacement with a new structure expected to last 75 years. The new bridge will span over 128 metres and will stand a metre higher to account for the expected rise in sea level over its lifespan. A new left turning lane from Route 2 onto the Lower Rollo Bay Road will also be added.
Funding is also being set aside for significant upgrades to Routes 1 and 2 of the NHS in PEI. Road improvements will make it safer and easier to make left turns along Route 1 near Bonshaw, while a 1,350 metre segment of Route 1 near Tryon will be rehabilitated to meet current safety guidelines. In addition, the intersection of Route 2 and Route 25 in Marshfield will be redesigned to increase safety and add a new acceleration lane onto Route 2.
The New Building Canada Fund is a component of the New Building Canada Plan, the largest and longest federal infrastructure plan in Canada's history. This unprecedented commitment will provide $53 billion over the next decade to support provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure.
Over the next ten years, Prince Edward Island will benefit from approximately $440 million in dedicated federal funding, including almost $277 million under the New Building Canada Fund.
Vincent Rabault
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and
Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
613-943-1838
Mary Moszynski
Communications Officer
Prince Edward Island Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal
902-368-5112
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll-free 1-877-250-7154
Email: media@infc.gc.ca
Twitter: @INFC_eng
Website: Infrastructure Canada