Edmonton, March 19, 2002 Infrastructure and transportation funding levels and project status

Infrastructure

• Capital project spending for 2002-03 includes:
  • $58.5 million for school facilities
  • $59.2 million for health care facilities
  • $16.4 million for post-secondary facilities
  • $12.2 million for seniors' lodge projects
  • $18.9 million for capital and accommodation projects
  • $7.3 million for Centennial projects
    
    
• In 2003-04 and 2004-05, further funding for capital projects is allocated as follows:
  • $244.9 million for school facilities
  • $178.8 million for health care facilities
  • $53.6 million for post-secondary facilities
  • $11.6 million for seniors' lodges
  • $49.8 million for capital and accommodation projects - $4 million for Centennial projects

Transportation

• Funding for highway maintenance and traffic safety programs will be maintained and funding for the Municipal Water and Wastewater program will be sustained at $25 million. Highway maintenance includes clearing snow, painting lines and filling potholes.

Municipal grant and funding levels

• Over the next three years, the total envelope for municipal transportation grants will be reduced by approximately 70 per cent. The Minister of Transportation will make a statement concerning annual allocations within the next week.
• Funding for local bridges will be cut to $9 million from $14 million, down 35 per cent.
• Funding for the Infrastructure Canada/Alberta Program will be adjusted to correspond with anticipated project approvals, although total program spending will remain unchanged.

Transportation highway program and project status

• There will be a $77 million reduction in funding for the rehabilitation of the provincial highway systems.
• The highway construction program will see a 53 per cent reduction to $98.7 million from $211.9 million.
• Funding for the North South Trade Corridor will be reduced by 51 per cent, a $95 million decrease, with the result that:
  • rural portions of the corridor will not be completed until at least 2011 instead of 2007.
  • Anthony Henday Drive completion to be delayed beyond 2006.
  • Deerfoot Trail extension will not be completed in 2002. Other planned interchanges deferred.

Alberta's highway system

• Alberta's provincial highway network consists of what was once referred to as primary and secondary highways. The network is made up of approximately 25,000 kilometres of paved highways, 5,000 kilometres of gravel highways, and 4,000 bridges.

The Minister of Transportation will make a statement concerning details of the highway construction program and municipal transportation grant annual allocations within the next week.

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For more information, contact:

Cheryl Mackenzie Alberta Transportation (780) 427-7674

David Bray Alberta Infrastructure (780) 422-0506