No. H098/01
For release August 23, 2001

$92.4 MILLION IN HIGHWAY
IMPROVEMENT FUNDING FOR ALBERTA

EDMONTON - The Honourable David M. Collenette, Minister of Transport, together with the Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and MP for Edmonton West, and Alberta Transportation Minister Ed Stelmach, today signed an agreement to provide joint funding of $92.4 million over the next five years for highway improvement projects in Alberta.

This is the second federal-provincial agreement to be signed under the $600 million Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP) announced by Minister Collenette in April 2001.

"I am pleased to announce that the Government of Canada is providing an additional $46.2 million in funding for Alberta highways through this agreement," said Mr. Collenette. "This funding agreement between the Government of Canada and the Province of Alberta will soon result in real improvements to our highway infrastructure."

"The $46.2 million in funds provided under the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program includes $7.5 million which will allow Alberta to begin a two-year project to replace the intersection of Highway 16 and Campsite Road with a new interchange," said Ms. McLellan. "This will greatly improve the safety of the intersection, and that will be beneficial for Albertans, as well as for our visitors and for our trade."

"The Government of Alberta is pleased to sign the agreement and participate in the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program," said Mr. Stelmach. "SHIP allows us to undertake the Campsite Road/Highway 16 interchange project sooner and address safety concerns at this intersection."

Transport Canada and the Province of Alberta are reviewing a list of other proposed projects for funding under SHIP. The department will examine the benefits of these projects and how they support the program objectives and, in partnership with the province, determine which projects best meet these objectives. Funding for the Highway 16/Campsite Road interchange project is conditional on the results of an environmental assessment currently being undertaken.

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Contacts: 

Anthony Polci,
Director of Communications Office of the Minister, Ottawa,
(613) 991-0700

Trent Bancarz,
Public Affairs Officer,
Alberta Ministry of Transportation,
Edmonton, Alberta,
(780) 427-0623

Transport Canada is online at http://www.tc.gc.ca/. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at  apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.

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BACKGROUNDER

STRATEGIC HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM - ALBERTA

In the February 2000 Budget Speech, the Government of Canada committed to improve the economy and the quality of life for Canadians by investing up to $600 million over four years in highway infrastructure across Canada. In April 2001, Transport Canada announced the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP). The program has two components: a $500 million highway construction component and a $100 million national system integration component.

Under the program, $500 million, including $15 million for administration costs, will be available to address the needs of Canada's highways over the next five years. The program formally begins in fiscal year 2002-2003. However, $30 million is available for projects during the 2001-2002 fiscal year. The Government of Canada will work with the provinces and territories to identify those parts of the national highway system that - because of growing traffic and increasing trade - need immediate attention. This will result in a safer and more efficient highway system for all Canadians.

An allocation formula has been developed to distribute the $485 million available to the provinces and territories under SHIP. The formula consists of a minimum of $4 million per jurisdiction plus a share based on population and a 50-50 cost-sharing ratio. Under this formula, the total federal allocation for the province of Alberta is $46.2 million.

Alberta and Transport Canada have agreed that the first project to be undertaken is one to replace the intersection of Highway 16 and Campsite Road with a new interchange. This project is scheduled to commence in 2002 and will take two years to complete. The intersection is a component of the National Highway System and funds provided under SHIP will accelerate the completion of the project by allowing its construction to begin as soon as the next fiscal year.

The province has submitted the necessary project-supporting data including a detailed project description, a cost-benefit analysis, a safety analysis, and a description of how the project supports and accelerates Alberta's highway infrastructure development plans.

An environmental assessment that meets the requirements of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act is currently being undertaken for the project and is expected to be completed by the middle of December. The funding for the project is conditional on the results of this environmental assessment. Transport Canada would not fund the project if it is determined that it could have any significant adverse environmental impacts.

SHIP will also provide $100 million nationally to fund initiatives which better integrate the transportation system. These include the deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems across Canada, improvements to border crossings and better transportation planning. Intelligent Transportation Systems include applications such as advanced systems for traveller information, traffic management, public transport, commercial vehicle operations, emergency response management and vehicle safety.

August 2001

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Contact:

Anthony Polci,
Director of Communications Office of the Minister, Ottawa,
(613) 991-0700