Municipal Affairs and Environment
May 12, 2017
Provincial Government Announces Infrastructure Upgrades to Corner Brook Main Street Bridge
Today, the Honourable Eddie Joyce, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment, and the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, announced more than $3 million in joint federal-provincial funding for the replacement of the Corner Brook Main Street bridge.
Work involves replacing the aging structure with a new, safer and bigger bridge that will incorporate an additional driving lane, updated lighting, stronger guard rails and wider sidewalks. The bridge will also be designed to improve stream flow and provide additional clearances to handle high water incidents. These vital upgrades to one of downtown Corner Brook’s main crossings will not only reduce traffic congestion, they will reduce the risk of closures caused by flooding.
This project is being funded through the Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component of the New Building Canada Fund. The Provincial Government is investing $1,597,767, the Federal Government is contributing $1,452,515 and the City of Corner Brook will contribute the remainder of the project funding.
Quotes
“The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is investing in municipal projects that strengthen services and develop infrastructure. All will benefit from the upgrades and the replacement of Main Street Bridge, as it is a central route for travellers and visitors alike in Corner Brook. We have committed to working collaboratively with the Federal Government to ensure that we are supporting municipalities and building safe and sustainable communities.”
Honourable Eddie Joyce
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment
“The Government of Canada is working with the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador to invest strategically in transportation infrastructure that improves our communities by reducing congestion and improving safety along vital routes while creating opportunities that contribute to growing the middle class. The replacement of this important bridge in Corner Brook will help improve traffic flow and increase the safety of residents and visitors alike.”
Honourable Amarjeet Sohi
Minister of Infrastructure and Communities,
Government of Canada
“The Main Street Bridge replacement will provide our city with additional construction jobs which is important, but it will also ensure that uninterrupted flow of traffic between east and west ends of the city. This is a strategic project that has been needed to be done for some time. Our partnership accomplishes that.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Advanced Education and Skills and MHA for the District of Corner Brook
“The main street bridge was initially built in the 1920s and reconstructed in 1957. It is more than concrete and cables; it is a vital link to connecting the districts of Corner Brook East and Corner Brook West. It is one of only three crossings of the Corner Brook Stream in the city and it handles a wide variety of traffic types. The average annual daily traffic is estimated to be in excess of 20,000 vehicles which makes this infrastructure replacement essential to ensuring the safety of motorists and pedestrians and for the movement of goods and services through our community. Thank you to our federal, and provincial partners for supporting the main street bridge replacement.”
Charles Pender
Mayor of Corner Brook
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Learn more
Government of Canada’s $180-billion+ infrastructure plan in Budget 2017: www.budget.gc.ca/2017/docs/plan/chap-02-en.html#Toc477707375
Federal infrastructure investments in Newfoundland and Labrador: www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map-carte/nl-eng.html
New Building Canada Fund: Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component – National and Regional Projects: www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/nrp-pnr-prog-eng.html
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and @MAE_GovNL
Media contacts
Lynn Robinson
Municipal Affairs and Environment
709-729-5449, 691-9466
lynnrobinson@gov.nl.ca
Brook Simpson
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
613-219-0149
Brook.Simpson@canada.ca
Bonita Decaire
Information Officer
City of Corner Brook
709-637-1662
bdecaire@cornerbrook.com
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll free: 1-877-250-7154
Email: media@infc.gc.ca
Twitter: @INFC_eng
Web: Infrastructure Canada
2017 05 12 11:35 a.m.