
This includes $14 million for sections of paving along the Trans Canada Highway, and Routes 430 and 450.
More than $316 million has been announced for highway construction projects for 2025-26, as part of the Provincial Government’s Multi-Year Provincial Roads Plan. Transportation Minister Fred Hutton says about $75 million is going towards west coast projects. This includes $14 million for sections of paving along the Trans Canada Highway, and Routes 430 and 450. Hutton says the bridge that’s replacing the Deer Lake Tailrace Bridge will be higher to allow for rising water levels. He says deteriorating gabion baskets along the south shore highway will also be replaced at a cost of $500,000. Hutton says with 9700 lane kms of road and 1300 bridges in the province, they need to work on areas that need it the most.
Meanwhile, Bay of Islands MHA Eddie Joyce says funding for these projects is not being distributed equally around the province. He says one district got $29.2 million one year and while there are 100 kms of roads in the Bay of Islands, they didn’t get a cent. Joyce says there is some good news in yesterday’s announcement but this is all fluff and the condition of roads in the region has been an issue for years now. He Joyce says the replacement of gabion baskets along the south shore highway was approved last year but it was too late in the reason to start it.