Project being made possible thanks to New Building Canada Plan

NORTH VANCOUVER - The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Industry and Minister Responsible for British Columbia, was joined today by Andrew Saxton, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and MP for North Vancouver, Todd Stone, B.C. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Jane Thornthwaite, Member of the Legislative Assembly for North Vancouver-Seymour, and Richard Walton, mayor of the District of North Vancouver, to announce that the Government of Canada has identified the Highway 1 Lower Lynn Corridor Improvement project for funding consideration of up to $34.1 million under the New Building Canada Plan in British Columbia.

The total cost for the Highway 1 Lower Lynn Corridor Improvement Project being announced today is estimated at $100 million, including $78 million for interchanges and $22 million for improvements to nearby municipal roadways. In addition to the federal funding, the Province of British Columbia and the District of North Vancouver will cost share the remaining $65.9 million.

This vital project involves the construction of two new interchanges and infrastructure upgrades to improve access to Highway 1 through the Lower Lynn Corridor. This work builds on the new Mountain Highway Interchange announced in November 2014. The Lower Lynn Corridor Improvement Project includes constructing the Fern Street and Dollarton interchanges and will improve safety, efficiency and traffic flow along the stretch of Highway 1 between Mountain Highway and the Second Narrows Bridge, one of the biggest bottleneck areas in the Lower Mainland.

The New Building Canada Plan is the largest and longest federal infrastructure plan in Canada’s history. This unprecedented commitment is providing $53 billion to support provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure between 2014 and 2024.

Over this 10-year period, British Columbia will benefit from approximately $3.9 billion in dedicated federal funding, including almost $1.1 billion under the New Building Canada Fund.

Quick Facts:

• The project is part of a $150,000,000 multi-phased “Lower Lynn Interchanges Plan”, developed jointly by the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and the District of North Vancouver to improve the operations of both Highway 1 and the municipal roadways and public transit connecting with the highway.
• The Government of Canada has selected key components of the Highway 1 Lower Lynn Corridor improvement project for funding consideration of up to one-half of eligible costs, to a maximum of $34.1 million under the New Building Canada Fund’s Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component-National and Regional Projects. This funding is conditional on the project meeting applicable federal eligibility requirements with respect to the New Building Canada Fund and the signing of a contribution agreement.
• This project builds on a previous announcement in November 2014 of $50 million in funding for the Highway 1 Mountain Interchange project, cost shared jointly by the Government of Canada, the Province of B.C. and the District of North Vancouver.
• These improvements are part of the Province’s B.C. on the Move initiative, a new 10-year plan for the improvement of the province’s transportation network providing a comprehensive road map for transportation investments and strategic policy actions over the next decade.
• The $53-billion New Building Canada Plan provides stable funding for a 10-year period, and includes:
  • The Community Improvement Fund, consisting of the Gas Tax Fund and the incremental Goods and Services Tax Rebate for Municipalities, which will provide over $32 billion to municipalities for projects such as roads, public transit and recreational facilities, and other community infrastructure.
  • The $14-billion New Building Canada Fund, which consists of:
    • The $4-billion National Infrastructure Component that will support projects of national significance; and
    • The $10-billion Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component for projects of national, regional and local significance. Of this amount, $1 billion is for projects in communities with fewer than 100,000 residents through the Small Communities Fund.
• An additional $1.25 billion in funding for the Public-Private Partnerships (P3) Canada Fund administered by PPP Canada.

Quotes:

The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Industry and Minister Responsible for British Columbia -

“Our Government’s support for public infrastructure has never been stronger. We are pleased to be working with the Province of British Columbia to jointly move projects forward under the New Building Canada Fund, to ensure that infrastructure funding continues to flow in British Columbia, creating jobs, promoting growth, and building strong, prosperous communities. We are pleased to consider the Highway 1 Lower Lynn Corridor improvement project for funding, which will increase safety, efficiency and traffic flow on and around Highway 1 in the District of North Vancouver.”

Andrew Saxton, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for North Vancouver -

“Since 2006, our Government has been investing in infrastructure projects that strengthen the economy and contribute to healthier, more sustainable communities across the country. Thanks to the strong relationship with our partners, we are pleased to be part of the province’s ongoing effort to improve the safety, efficiency and traffic flow along one of the busiest stretches of Highway 1 through North Vancouver.”

Todd Stone, B.C. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure -

“Through B.C. on the Move, the Province’s new 10-year transportation plan, we’re prioritizing projects that improve safety and ease congestion in our network. This project is being made possible by teamwork between three levels of government, designed to improve connectivity between Greater Vancouver and the North Shore. This important project will create jobs, benefit the local economy for generations and support the significant growth of the North Shore area.”

Jane Thornthwaite, Member of the Legislative Assembly for North Vancouver-Seymour -

“For several years now, Seymour-area residents have been virtually cut off from the rest of North Vancouver because getting in or out of our community has been dependent on the traffic situation across the bridge in Vancouver and Burnaby. Alleviating congestion on Highway 1 and the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge has been my biggest priority as MLA. This comprehensive three-phased project is a great example of what can be achieved when all levels of government work together to resolve transportation issues for North Shore residents.”

Mayor Richard Walton, District of North Vancouver -

“The district has been working with the Province on Highway 1 bridgehead improvements for a number of years. Recent improvements to transportation infrastructure in neighbouring areas both north and south of the North Shore has increased the need to make the Lower Lynn interchanges as efficient as possible. Improving the regional north-south network also benefits east-west connectivity, which is vitally important for all North Shore residents. In conjunction with the Mountain Highway interchange improvements recently announced, this phased project represents a significant improvement to our regional transportation network.”

Related Product

To view the November 2014 announcement of the Highway 1 and Mountain Highway Interchange, visit: http://news-nouvelles.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?crtr.sj1D=&crtr.mnthndVl=12&mthd=advSrch&crtr.dpt1D=&nid=903689&crtr.lc1D=10&crtr.tp1D=1&crtr.yrStrtVl=2014&crtr.kw=infrastructure+canada&crtr.dyStrtVl=1&crtr.aud1D=&crtr.mnthStrtVl=1&crtr.page=1&crtr.yrndVl=2014&crtr.dyndVl=31

Associated Links

To learn more about the New Building Canada Fund - Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component - National and Regional Projects, visit: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/nrp-pnr-prog-eng.html

For additional information on the New Building Canada Plan visit: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/nbcp-npcc-eng.html

To learn more about the Government of Canada's focus on jobs and the economy, consult: http://www.budget.gc.ca/efp-peb/2014/home-accueil-eng.html

Media Contacts:

Vincent Rabault
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and
Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
613 943-1838

Media Relations
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 356-8241

Media Relations
District of North Vancouver
604 990-2416

Infrastructure Canada
613 960-9251
Toll free: 1 877 250-7154
media@infc.gc.ca
Follow us on Twitter at @INFC_eng