February 13, 2008

ORBA Annual Conference

Ontario transportation minister Jim Bradley speaks to road builders’ association

Record $1.7 billion investment will help expand, repair and improve Ontario’s highways, roads and bridges

VINCE VERSACE

staff writer

Road builders were lauded for their work at the recent Ontario Road Builders’ Association conference and reminded by transportation ministry officials about $1.7 billion worth of reasons to keep it up.

“Our government’s long-term planning gives your industry that capability to plan long term,” said Jim Bradley, Ontario’s transportation minister. “Public infrastructure is important to our economic prosperity and quality of life.”

Bradley was the keynote luncheon speaker on the first day at ORBA’s 81st annual conference last week. He noted that provincial objectives of tackling congestion, protecting the environment and improving the movement of goods on Ontario’s roads can only happen with the continued hard work of ORBA members.

Steve Cripps, investment strategies branch director for the provincial transportation ministry, told ORBA members that the provincial capital budget has increased by 40 per cent over the last five years.

This year’s record $1.7 billion investment will help expand, repair and improve Ontario highways, roads and bridges. Ongoing construction projects include extending Highway 410 from Mayfield Road and linking up to Highway 10 in Brampton.

“Overall, it is a positive story and we are looking at a good distribution of value,” said Cripps.

Project highlights include the single largest highway contract ever — $167 million for widening the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) from four to six lanes from Highway 406 to the Garden City Skyway through St. Catharines. Highway 401 repairs through a series of projects at various locations in Toronto including the Hogg’s Hollow Bridge are also slated to occur.

Upcoming projects include delivering the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane Network Plan, a 25-year plan to add over 400 kilometres of HOV lanes to the 400-series highways.

The province has also provided 52 municipalities with one-time Connecting Link grants totalling $25 million for such things as municipal roads. There will also be a $4.3 million investment to improve the appearance of Ontario’s busiest highways such as the 401, 417 and the QEW.

Bradley also noted the importance of future infrastructure work on the Windsor-Detroit Gateway. Over 16 million cars and trucks cross the Gateway every year and in 2003, approximately $140 billion worth of goods passed through it. Construction plans for the Canadian side of the gateway include a seven-kilometre, six-lane access highway, connecting the 401 to a yet to be determined new site for a Windsor-Detroit bridge.

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