Federal and Provincial Govts provide $8.9 million for HWY 401

April 08, 2010

CHATHAM —MP Dave Van Kesteren and MPP Pat Hoy today announced $8.9 million in federal and provincial funding for resurfacing and rehabilitation on Highway 401 in Chatham-Kent.

“Over the last year our government’s goal was to invest stimulus money into infrastructure projects that would create jobs now as well as improve some of our country’s most important transportation routes.  Today’s announcement does exactly that,” said MP Van Kesteren. 

“Highway 401 is a vital route to bring tourists, deliver goods and services and maintain our economic vitality here in Chatham-Kent, and this combined funding will help,” said Hoy, MPP for Chatham-Kent-Essex.  “This important multi-million dollar investment is a positive shot in the arm for our region.”

There are two local projects being funded:

• Hwy 401, Essex Rd. 42 interchange 56 to Bloomfield Rd. eastbound lanes: The federal and provincial governments are each contributing $2,450,000 to the total project cost of $4.9 million.  The project is scheduled to begin this June.
• Hwy 401, Orford Rd. to Furnival Rd. eastbound lanes: both governments investing $2 million to the $4 million project, slated to start this August.

This funding announcement is for one of 43 highway, bridge and local road projects announced on April 7, 2010 by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.

The Government of Canada’s contribution for this project is being provided through the
$4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, a key component of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, which invests in construction-ready infrastructure projects that must be completed by March 31, 2011.

Ontario's portion of the funding is part of the $32-billion infrastructure stimulus funding announced in the 2009 budget.

Today’s announcement represents contributions from both the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario. Since 2007, the governments of Canada and Ontario have committed more than $13 billion in funding to more than 6,400 infrastructure projects across the province to stimulate the economy and create jobs.