Ambrose, Poilievre announce local infrastructure funding
Public Infrastructure Investment in NCR Bridges
GATINEAU, Quebec, January 17, 2012—The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, along with Pierre Poilievre, Member of Parliament for Nepean–Carleton and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, today announced a Government of Canada investment in major capital and maintenance projects on the Chaudière Crossing and Alexandra and Macdonald-Cartier bridges located in the National Capital Region.
“These bridges are vital components of the National Capital Region’s infrastructure as they provide essential inter-provincial links between Ottawa and Quebec,” said Minister Ambrose. “Our Government is committed to ensuring that these bridges remain safe for the thousands of Canadians they serve daily.”
“The bridges that we are investing in contribute significantly to the economic activity and prosperity of the National Capital Region, serving commuters and business people and carrying goods, on a daily basis,” said Parliamentary Secretary Poilievre. “Our Government’s investment in bridges in the nation’s capital will create local jobs and generate long-term economic benefits for the entire region for years to come.”
The Macdonald-Cartier Bridge rehabilitation project will include a seismic retrofit, the replacement of the guardrails and the centre median, the replacement and widening of sidewalks, the replacement of the lighting and electrical system, as well as localized repairs to the abutments and piers, including components such as the roadway deck, expansion joints, drainage system, stringers, floor beams, box girders, coating system and approaches. The work will be undertaken over three years and is expected to start in the spring of 2013.
The Alexandra Bridge project includes a protective recoating. The project will be carried out over a two-year period and is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2012.
The Chaudière Crossing project, which is already underway, consists of minor steel repairs and a protective recoating program. Additional work on the Hull section of the crossing also includes the replacement of the deck, sidewalk and barriers, seismic upgrades, and protective repainting of the existing structural steel elements. The work will be conducted over two years and is expected to begin in the fall of 2012.
Over the next five years, the Harper Government will be undertaking a number of new infrastructure projects from coast to coast. Additional projects announced today include the replacement of the controls and drives of the Burlington Lift Bridge in Hamilton, Ontario; the reconstruction of the Ontario Latchford Dam, and of the Des Allumettes Bridge located near Pembroke, Ontario; as well as a number of projects along the Alaska Highway in Northern British Columbia.
The Government of Canada is committed to accountability and transparency. Public Works and Government Services Canada is committed to a fair, open and transparent tendering process, which will be conducted through the Government Electronic Tendering System