April 14, 2008

Infrastructure

TRIP Canada cheers record highway spending by provinces

VINCE VERSACE

staff writer

Provinces are spending more on highways this year than ever before and six of them are setting record highs, according to TRIP Canada’s annual provincial highways budget report.

“It was a pleasant surprise to see the increases and this is a good report card overall,” says Jeff Morrison, executive director of the Road and Infrastructure Program of Canada (TRIP). “An increase of almost 17 per cent in provincial highway budgets is good news for everyone. Canadians rely on highways and related infrastructure for safe, reliable, and efficient transportation of goods, people and services.”

Provincial highway capital budgets are set to increase from $7.64 billion to $8.93 billion this year. New Brunswick and Quebec will see the largest increases with increases of 88 per cent and 61 per cent respectively– both record highs. New Brunswick will spend $326 million this year, up from $174 million and Quebec will spend $2.73 billion compared to $1.7 billion the year before.

The overall 17 per cent increase is in addition to the 26 per cent increase in highway budget spending last year nationwide, adds Morrison.

Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan all hit record highs in spending this year.

British Columbia was the lone province to see a decrease in highway budget spending, dropping from $1.89 billion to $1.19 billion.

“You have to take the B.C. numbers with a grain of salt,” says Morrison.

“There is a significant amount of work underway in B.C. This year there were no major projects in the budget as years before, such as the Sea to Sky highway work. Those projects had three to four years to be built and were accounted for earlier.

Chris McNally, chairman of the Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Council of the Canadian Construction Association, says the increases are proof that messages about the need for improved highways are being heard.

“These figures suggest that provincial governments are recognizing the deficiencies in our highway systems, and are addressing these deficiencies with greater investments,” says McNally.

A majority of the funding increases were also necessary to help meet the rising costs of materials and resources as provinces tackle their highway infrastructure, says Morrison.

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