Government of Canada invests in efficiency and safety of commercial vehicle inspections on Highway 16

TERRACE, BC, Sept. 6, 2019 /CNW/ - The quality of Canada's transportation infrastructure and the efficiency of the country's trade corridors are key to the success of Canadian companies in the global marketplace. The Government of Canada invests in infrastructure projects that create quality, middle-class jobs, and support economic growth.

Today, the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, announced a major investment of $15 million to build a commercial vehicle inspection station east of Terrace on Highway 16, near Highway 37 including adding lanes on Highway 16 near the inspection station. The new station will improve the efficiency and safety of vehicle inspections.

The project, led by the Government of British Columbia, will use new technologies including a Weigh-in-Motion system that weighs trucks without the need for the trucks to come to a stop, and an automated vehicle inspection system that will electronically inspect trucks registered with the Weigh2GoBC Program. These new technologies will increase the efficiency of truck movement through the Highway 16 corridor, which is a key trucking route for export-focused forest products destined for the Port of Prince Rupert.

This investment is expected to have important economic and employment benefits for Canadians by creating an estimated 300 jobs during construction.

The Government of Canada is supporting infrastructure projects that contribute most to Canada's success in international trade. Trade diversification is a key component of the National Trade Corridors Fund, through projects that: 

• improve the performance of the transportation system to increase the value and volume of goods exported from Canada to overseas markets; and
• generate new overseas trade as a result of the investment.

Quotes

"Our government is investing in Canada's economy by making improvements to our trade and transportation corridors. We are supporting projects to efficiently move goods to market and people to their destinations, stimulate economic growth, create quality middle-class jobs, and ensure that Canada's transportation networks remain competitive and efficient."

The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport

Quick Facts

• An efficient and reliable transportation network is key to Canada's economic growth. The Government of Canada, through the National Trade Corridors Fund, is making investments that will support the flow of goods to international markets. While the United States continues to be Canada's top trade partner with $741.4 billion in trade ($437.6 billion exported, $303.8 billion imported) in 2018, trade is growing with international markets. From 2015 to 2018, trade with Asia (excluding the Middle East) grew by 18.9 per cent to $199.2 billion and trade with the European Union grew by 19 per cent since 2015 to $118.1 billion in 2018.
• Canada's National Highway System is an evolution of the Trans-Canada Highway concept originally launched in 1949 to connect all the provinces together by highway.
• The National Highway System comprises over 38,000 lane-kilometres linking Canadian cities, ports, airports, and border crossings.
• The Government of Canada is making investments that help Canadian exporters accelerate their presence in new markets, and take advantage of the new opportunities that exist because of the trade agreements the Government has secured in the past three years. By investing in export-intensive industries, the Government is committed to the creation of well-paying jobs and strengthening Canada's economy.
• Through the Investing in Canada Plan, the Government of Canada 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.

Associated Links

• National Trade Corridors Fund Backgrounder
• Trade and Transportation Corridor Initiative
• Investing in Canada Plan
• Transportation 2030

SOURCE Transport Canada

Delphine Denis, Media Relations Manager, Office of the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, Ottawa, 613-991-0700, [email protected]; Media Relations, Transport Canada, Ottawa, [email protected], 613-993-0055

Related Links

http://www.tc.gc.ca/