Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador invest in Route 3 improvements in St. John's and Mount Pearl

MOUNT PEARL, NL, June 2, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr., Minister of Labour and Member of Parliament for St. John's South–Mount Pearl, the Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Honourable Elvis Loveless, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, and Lucy Stoyles, Member of the House of Assembly for Mount Pearl North, announced a joint investment of $30 million for Route 3 improvements in Newfoundland and Labrador.

This investment will enable the completion of a north-south arterial highway route in St. John's and Mount Pearl. The end of the Team Gushue Highway will be connected to the Pitts Memorial Drive (Route 2) and Robert E. Howlett Memorial Drive (Route 3) interchange. This will involve extending the paved highway from Topsail Road—where the Team Gushue Highway currently ends—to the Commonwealth Avenue, Brookfield Road and Heavy Tree Road area. A connection to the Route 2 and 3 interchange using a roundabout corridor will also be created. Work also includes installing drainage culverts, an overpass structure and auxiliary access roads, as well as re-aligning a section of Brookfield Road.

These enhancements will alleviate traffic congestion, improve safety and enhance access to and from the cities of St. John's and Mount Pearl and the surrounding urban and rural communities.

By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country's economy, building resilient communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.

Quotes

"Our partnership with Premier Furey and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is about delivering results for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians – and that is exactly what we are doing today. These long-awaited upgrades to Route 3 will make it easier and safer for residents of St. John's, Mount Pearl and the southern Avalon peninsula to get where they need to be while supporting good jobs in the trades."

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities

"We're finishing the Team Gushue Highway. That means less time in the car and more time at home with family. This a game changer for us in St. John's, Mount Pearl and across the Avalon Peninsula."

The Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr., Minister of Labour and Member of Parliament for St. John's South–Mount Pearl

"The final phase of the Team Gushue Highway is one of the last remaining key components of a regional roadway network envisioned for the northeast Avalon region, which was first identified in a comprehensive regional development plan over 50 years ago. It is a game changer for residents on the southern Avalon to access key provincial services and social infrastructure, including the province's largest health care and post-secondary facilities. Our government committed to getting this project done, and I am very proud that this commitment has now come to fruition."

The Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

"Today's announcement signals the completion of a major highway project that will improve safety as well as access to and from the cities of St. John's, Mount Pearl and the surrounding areas. It is the culmination of incredible work by the engineering team in my department and will further enhance benefits for the area by better integrating Goulds and various rural communities on the southern Avalon Peninsula with the provincial highway network on the northeast Avalon Peninsula."

The Honourable Elvis Loveless, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

"The completion of the final phase of the Team Gushue Highway is very welcome news for the entire region. This will help address traffic volumes and congestion within the City of Mount Pearl, while further enhancing the safe and efficient movement of residents throughout the Avalon region."

Lucy Stoyles, Member of the House of Assembly for Mount Pearl North

Quick facts

• The governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador are each investing $15 million in this project.
• The Government of Canada's funding comes from the Rural and Northern Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
• This stream supports projects that increase access to more efficient and reliable energy sources, improve community infrastructure, and improved internet connectivity for rural and northern communities.
• Including today's announcement, 117 infrastructure projects or project bundles under the Rural and Northern Infrastructure Stream have been funded in Newfoundland and Labrador, with a total federal contribution of more than $68.6 million and a total provincial contribution of nearly $64.8 million.
• Under the Investing in Canada Plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
• Infrastructure Canada helps address complex challenges that Canadians face every day—ranging from the rapid growth of our cities, to climate change, and environmental threats to our water and land.
• The funding announced today builds on the Government of Canada's work through the Atlantic Growth Strategy to create well-paying middle-class jobs, strengthen local economies, and build inclusive communities.
• Federal funding is conditional on fulfilling all requirements related to environmental assessment obligations.

Associated Links

Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan  
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/icp-publication-pic-eng.html 

Investing in Canada Plan Project Map 
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html 

Rural and Northern Infrastructure Stream 
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/rnc-crn-eng.html 

Federal infrastructure investments in Newfoundland and Labrador 
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-nl-eng.html

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For more information (media only), please contact: Jean-Sébastien Comeau, Press Secretary and Senior Communications Advisor, Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, 343-574-8116, [email protected]; Media Relations: Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; Maria Browne, Transportation and Infrastructure, 709-729-1130; 699-6147, [email protected]