Continued investments in support of critical public infrastructure, safety and growth are among the highlights of the 2006 provincial budget for the Department of Transportation and Public Works.
“Our department contributes to the economic and community development of Prince Edward Island through construction and maintenance of public infrastructure, property management services, and environmental services as well as public safety operations,” said Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea in a statement to the Provincial Legislature today. “These functions are possible because of the dedication and effort of our staff. For that, I want to publicly thank them for their work day in and day out on behalf of the public of Prince Edward Island.”
The budget for the Department of Transportation and Public Works for the 2006/07 fiscal year is nearly $82 Million, minus offsetting revenue of approximately $13 Million for a net Ministry expenditure of $68 Million.
During the Fall 2005 Session of the Legislature, the Province moved to a fall Capital Budget process. This move was designed to provide more planning flexibility for both government and industry which is beginning to pay dividends, Shea noted. A multi-year funding program was approved that will see investments of almost $150 Million made over the next five years for capital activities by the Department of Transportation and Public Works.
For the coming year, the Department will utilize a capital budget of $33 Million to address a number of strategic priorities. Among them are:
• Nearly $20 Million towards highways projects.
• Almost $8 Million for a number of projects to upgrade Island bridges.
• $1 Million for new highway maintenance vehicles and equipment.
• Completion of repairs as part of Basin Head Wharf Reconstruction.
• Construction of a new Prince County Highway Maintenance Depot.
In her remarks to the House, Minister Shea also highlighted developments surrounding the province’s Veterans Memorial Highway, Route 2. Shea noted that the province has invested in excess of $20 Million since 2002 to improve safety and efficiency along Route 2 and that these investments will continue.
This work has taken place alongside ongoing efforts to have Route 2 included within the National Highway System, a condition to be eligible for federal funding partnerships. “I’m also pleased to report that since 2002 as a province we have been able to negotiate two expansions to the National Highways System on Prince Edward Island,” said Shea. “These expansions, the first of their kind in nearly twenty years, have almost tripled the number of kilometres of Island roads eligible for federal funding partnerships. As a government, we will continue to work with the federal government to develop opportunities for such partnerships as we continue to invest in safety and growth for Prince Edward Island.”