Rehabilitating New Brunswick's roadways will benefit businesses and residents with safer, more efficient transportation routes

UTOPIA, NB, Aug. 14, 2019 /CNW/ - Modern and efficient roadways are crucial to encouraging and supporting economic activity, facilitating trade, and creating good paying, middle class jobs. The governments of Canada and New Brunswick are investing in roads and highways that will make it easier and safer to move people and products across the province, while supporting sustained economic growth for years to come.

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Jeff Carr, Minister of Environment and Local Government, and Member of the Legislative Assembly for New Maryland–Sunbury today announced improvements to New Brunswick's strategic resource trade corridors, with the replacement of 14 bridges and culverts located on nine collector roads and highways across the province. The upgrades will allow full truck weights (62,500 kg) to be accommodated so that New Brunswick's economy remains competitive.  

These improvements mean residents will benefit from increased road safety, comfortable routes, and shorter travel times, allowing them to spend less time on the road and more time with friends and family. New Brunswick businesses will benefit from improved productivity by maintaining the most direct routes for raw forest products and mining products to reach mills and manufacturing plants, as well as enabling new resource development opportunities.

The Government of Canada is contributing $24.3 million through the Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component – National and Regional Projects Fund. The Province of New Brunswick will provide $33.7 million to the project.

Quotes

"Better roads and highways benefit all Canadians. This project will create efficient and safer transportation routes and bridges for New Brunswick communities, businesses and people, extending the use of the overall road network for decades to come."

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"The upgrades to our roads and bridges in New Brunswick are critical for public safety, growing the economies in our small communities, efficiently shipping our natural resources and finished products, and improving the driving experience in our province."

Karen Ludwig, Member of Parliament, New Brunswick Southwest

"Our government knows that New Brunswickers want safe and reliable road infrastructure. We want to ensure we are doing all we can to manage our infrastructure in a sustainable way, and that includes working with our federal partners to get more accomplished."

The Honourable Jeff Carr, Minister of Environment and Local Government, and Member of the Legislative Assembly for New Maryland–Sunbury

Quick facts

• Project rehabilitation locations in New Brunswick include Route 785 near the Town of St. George, the Village of Chipman, the Village of Fredericton Junction, the Town of Grand Falls, the Village of Perth-Andover, the Village of Riverside-Albert, the Village of Stanley, and the Village of Tracy.
• Through the Investing in Canada infrastructure 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.
• More than $10.1 billion of this funding will support trade and transportation projects, including $5 billion that will be available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
• These investments complement the Atlantic Growth Strategy, a federal-provincial action plan aimed at stimulating economic growth in the region through five priority areas:
• Skilled workforce/Immigration;
• Innovation;
• Clean growth and climate change;
• Trade and investment;
• Infrastructure.
• On June 27, 2019, the Government of Canada launched two new strategies: Canada's Connectivity Strategy, which commits to connect all Canadians to high-speed internet, and Canada's first Rural Economic Development Strategy, which will spur economic growth and create good, middle class jobs for rural Canadians across the country.
• The Rural Economic Development Strategy leverages ongoing federal investments and provides a vision for the future, identifying practical steps to take in the short term, and serving as a foundation to guide further work.
• Central to Canada's Connectivity Strategy are historic new investments that are mobilizing up to $6 billion toward universal connectivity. They include a top-up to the Connect to Innovate Program, a new Universal Broadband Fund, and investments from the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

Associated links

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

Investing in Canada plan project map:
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map

Federal infrastructure investments in New Brunswick: 
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/investments-2002-investissements/nb-eng.html

Rural Opportunity, National Prosperity: An Economic Development Strategy for Rural Canada:
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/rural/strat-eng.html

Atlantic Growth Strategy:
http://www.acoa-apeca.gc.ca/ags-sca/Eng/atlantic-growth.html

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Web: Infrastructure Canada

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

For further information: Ann-Clara Vaillancourt, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-697-3778, [email protected]; Jeremy Trevors, Communications Officer, New Brunswick, 506-453-5912, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]

Related Links

www.infrastructure.gc.ca