NEWS RELEASE
DOUG DOWNEY, MPP FOR BARRIE-SPRINGWATER-ORO-MEDONTE
ANDREA KHANJIN, MPP FOR BARRIE-INNISFIL
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Our government knows infrastructure is critical in supporting growing communities like Barrie, which is why we are stepping up to support businesses and families with an investment of $1,377,000 to repair one of the city’s busiest roads.
Today, the Ontario government announced that it is providing $30 million in funding to build safer and more reliable transportation systems to help keep goods moving and better connect municipalities throughout the province.
As part of the Connecting Links program, Doug Downey, MPP for Barrie-Springwater-OroMedonte and MPP Andrea Khanjin for Barrie-Innisfil, announced that the province is providing the City of Barrie with $1,377,000 to support the resurfacing of Bayfield St. (Cundles Rd. to Livingstone St.)
“This project allows us to address the needs of people in our community in a very direct way,” said Doug Downey, MPP for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte. “We hear from constituents about their concerns around our local roadways. This project is another way we are addressing those challenges. By investing in Barrie we can ensure local vital infrastructure is built and maintained, helping to keep people safe, keep goods moving, and driving more economic growth during these uncertain times.”
The 2020-2021 Connecting Links program will support 24 different municipalities across the province to help them build, repair or replace municipal roads and bridges that connect two ends of a provincial highway through a community or to a border crossing.
“The Connecting Links program is part of our government’s focus on investing in infrastructure to keep our economy moving,” said MPP Khanjin of Barrie-Innisfil. “Improving our roads is key to reducing the gridlock that keeps Ontarians from getting to where they want quickly and safely.”
The funding will support three bridge repair, 10 resurfacing, seven construction, and four detailed design projects to prepare further infrastructure investments. Connecting Links projects are reviewed based on technical need and safety considerations, such as the condition of the connecting link bridge and road, need for repair in the near term, and cost effectiveness.
Quick Facts
- The Connecting Links program is delivered through the Ministry of Transportation. The funding covers up to 90 per cent of eligible project costs, to a maximum of $3 million. Eligible costs include the design, construction, renewal, rehabilitation and replacement of connecting links.
- In Ontario, there are a total of 352 kilometres of connecting links, with 70 bridges in 77 municipalities.
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