Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre, together with Prince Edward Island Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea, today announced a new road construction project funded under the Canada/PEI Strategic Highways Infrastructure Program (SHIP).
The latest project to be approved under the program is an intersection upgrade and highway widening on the Charlottetown Perimeter Highway, a critical link in the Trans Canada Highway on PEI. The $2.3 M project will include building a four-lane section on Riverside Drive from Southgate Avenue to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital intersection to better accommodate present and future traffic flow. The intersection at Pioneer Drive will be converted to a right turn only intersection to address safety concerns and produce a better long-term design for the area. Construction of an extension to Murchison Lane will provide a direct link from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to Acadian Drive and make the changes at Pioneer possible.
“Through the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program, the Government of Canada is once again demonstrating its commitment to improving Canada’s highways,” said Mr. Lapierre. “This project will enhance safety and ease congestion on this well-traveled route.”
“The Charlottetown Perimeter Highway is a critical piece of transportation infrastructure in the capital area, and is the hub of our arterial highway system. I know there are many users who are concerned about making sure it continues to function well over the longer term,” said Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea. “This project will increase road safety for areas residents and the traveling public, it improves the capacity of the system on the whole and it preserves the value of our past investments on this route. Projects funded under this program are meant to be strategic as the name suggests, and this one especially fits that objective in my view.”
The proposed design reflects input received during consultations with area residents, the City of Charlottetown and officials from the Provincial Health Services Authority, which have been ongoing since April. The design includes development of sidewalks along Murchison Lane to Patterson Drive for the use of area residents, hospital staff, patients and visitors. Steps have also been taken to minimize the impact on the surrounding environment. Construction on the project is conditional upon successful completion of an environmental assessment, expected by the end of September, in accordance with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) and related due diligence.
“Widening this portion of the Trans Canada Highway is an important step in helping improve Prince Edward Island’s infrastructure,” said Charlottetown MP Shawn Murphy. “In particular, it will benefit the people of Charlottetown since residents and commercial traffic will be able to travel more efficiently and safely.”
“Traffic which currently uses the Pioneer Drive intersection to access Riverside Drive will now be able to do so more safely through the existing signalized intersections at Murchison Lane or Southgate Avenue,” said Community and Cultural Affairs Minister Elmer MacFadyen, local MLA for the area. “I’m pleased to see these important safety measures move forward.”
Tenders for the project will close shortly, with work scheduled to be completed late this fall. The project will be funded through the Canada/PEI Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP).
The Canada/PEI Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP) is a five year, 50/50 cost-shared agreement signed in 2002 to provide joint funding for highway improvement projects along Prince Edward Island’s portion of the National Highway System. The total value of the highway construction component Canada/PEI SHIP Agreement is $11.6 Million ($5.8 Million federal/$5.8 Million provincial). Federal funding for this project is built into the existing financial framework.