Projects shift out of neutral
By STEPHEN LLEWELLYN
dgleg@nb.aibn.com
Published Tuesday June 26th, 2007
Appeared on page A1
The Marysville bypass is finally getting some of the $400 million in federal-provincial highway funding announced last spring.
The long-awaited bypass was one of six federal-provincial highway projects announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Fredericton on Monday.
"Together, these improvements to New Brunswick's transportation infrastructure will smooth traffic flow, increase the efficient movement of goods and people and stimulate jobs and opportunities in the road construction sector," said Harper.
Premier Shawn Graham said working out the final details of the highway- funding deal was one of the top priorities of his Liberal government when it came to power last fall.
"It is all about staying connected to markets, to essential services, to communities and to each other," he said.
"We are committed to a comprehensive provincial highway system with safe and reliable connections to our province's ports, airports, rail lines and manufacturing and production facilities.''
The Marysville bypass is a 36-kilometre highway along the east side of the Nashwaak River.
Phase 1 includes 15 kilometres of grading on Route 8, paving at the Route 8 and Bridge Street intersection and construction of one bridge and two overpasses.
Coun. Walter Brown said Monday's announcement proves the Marysville bypass is real.
"The money is now there," he said. "This a great day."
The completion of the bypass will make Marysville a beautiful bedroom community because it will take truck traffic out of the neighbourhood, said Brown.
The federal money was also bumped up slightly to $207 million from the original $200 million. It must be matched by provincial funds. The $414 million in total funding is spread over 10 years.
Whether the Marysville bypass was eligible for funding under the original highway deal depended on whom you asked Monday.
In the dying days of the Tory government in the fall of 2006, a memorandum of understanding was signed on highway funding which set the priority for that funding on so-called core highways. Route 8 is designated a feeder highway, not a core highway.
"This agreement will see important work done on our national highway system, both core and feeder routes," said Graham. "We were able to establish a precedent today by convincing the government of Canada that our feeder routes were important.
"It means that all of New Brunswick will be able to benefit under the infrastructure investment."
But Opposition transportation critic Paul Robichaud said routes 8, 11 and 17 were all added to the national highway system in March 2005.
He also said it was the former Tory government that first negotiated the $400-million deal.
"What we have today is the details of that agreement," said Robichaud.
Fredericton Liberal MP Andy Scott said that while he is pleased with the funding, he hopes it doesn't come at the expense of other projects.
"As we learned last year, announcements don't count for much," he said. "It is identifying the funding source that is critically important.
"I would like to see some clarity from the Conservatives as to where the federal money is precisely coming from."
Scott also claimed credit for the extra $14 million. That represented the $7 million the former federal Liberal government allocated to the Marysville bypass in May 2004, he said.
The Fredericton MP backed Robichaud's position regarding the bypass being part of the national highway system.
"We worked successfully at the federal level to get it added to the national highway system in September 2005 so it was eligible for federal funding," said Scott.
The highway deal will also provide funding for the 10-kilometre Welsford bypass on Route 7 between Fredericton and Saint John.
Phase 1 of that project includes the construction of a viaduct, clearing of the highway corridor and five kilometres of grading.
Other highway initiatives include work on the One Mile House interchange near Saint John, 11.5 kilometres of new four-lane highway from Pennfield to Lepreau, 2.2 kilometres of highway to complete a 24-kilometre Route 1 bypass from Waweig River to Murray Road in southwestern New Brunswick and 7.9 kilometres of highway on Route 11 from Tracadie-Sheila to the Six Roads bypass.
Details of how much work will be done this year weren't available. But the province issued a statement saying contracts for the work on the Marysville bypass, Route 1 and Route 11 would be awarded this year.
Lloyd Giggie, executive director of the Roadbuilders Association of New Brunswick, welcomed the highway funding announcement.
"It is something we have been waiting for," he said. "It sounds now like there is going to be some money spent."
Giggie said the timing is good because the Liberals cut the provincial highway construction budget by 25 per cent this year.
"Our people are under utilized right now," he said.
About 7,000 people work in the provincial road-construction industry. said Giggie.