No. H 184/07
For release October 4, 2007

OFFICIAL OPENING OF A NEW SECTION OF ROUTE 95
IN WOODSTOCK, NEW BRUNSWICK

WOODSTOCK, NEW BRUNSWICK — Trade between Atlantic Canada and the United States is now flowing more efficiently thanks to the completion of a 14-kilometre highway project in New Brunswick.

Mr. Mike Allen, Member of Parliament for Tobique – Mactaquac, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, joined New Brunswick Premier, Mr. Shawn Graham and Mr. Denis Landry, provincial Minister of Transportation, to officially open the newly twinned Route 95 between Woodstock, New Brunswick and Houlton, Maine.

"The official opening of this new section of Route 95 demonstrates once again that Canada's New Government is delivering transportation results for Canadians," said Mr. Allen. "This new highway project demonstrates our government’s continued commitment to improving the safety and efficiency of border crossings."

"Completing the twinning of Route 95 between Woodstock and Houlton constitutes a major achievement for our province," said Premier Graham. "Route 95 is a vital link to important markets in the United States, and this highway improvement will significantly contribute to our objective of making New Brunswick self-sufficient by 2026."

The $33-million project was jointly funded by the federal and provincial governments. Federal funding was provided through the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund.

The international border crossing between Woodstock, New Brunswick and Houlton, Maine, is New Brunswick’s busiest commercial crossing and a key trade corridor between Atlantic Canada and the northeastern United States. The twinning of Route 95 was endorsed by all four Atlantic Provinces, as an important support to regional trade and the economy of the entire region.

The project consisted of twinning the entire section of existing two-lane highway on Route 95 between the Trans-Canada Highway and the international border at Houlton, Maine. The new highway is a four-lane divided highway that includes a new interchange at the Route 540 intersection and a grade separation at Plymouth Road.

This project is in line with the Government of Canada's continued commitment towards improving the safety and efficiency of border crossings.

The federal government recognizes that there is a wide array of infrastructure needs across Canada and has announced a $33-billion, long-term Building Canada Plan to provide funding until 2014. The plan focuses on five main priorities: core national highways, public transit, clean water and sewage treatment infrastructure, and green energy.

One component of the Building Canada Plan is to provide each province and territory with a certain amount of money per year over seven years, which the provinces and territories can use for infrastructure rehabilitation.

Another component is the Building Canada Fund, which will provide $8.8 billion to support large and small projects in major cities and small communities in areas including wastewater treatment; highways; public transit; and cultural, sport and recreational facilities.

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