Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson has announced the provincial government has approved a grant of $465,321 to Saugeen Shores to replace a culvert at the intersection of Hwy 21 and Railway Street.The grant is part of the province’s $30 million investment to help 14 municipalities repair roads and bridges through the Connecting Links Program.
“While life might not be back to normal just yet, we must still continue to help municipalities repair and replace key infrastructure components in their communities,” Thompson said.
The funding is also part of the province’s commitment to more than $21 billion smart investments in highway, road and bridge projects over the next 10 years, which will contribute significantly to the COVID-19 recovery.
“By investing in our roads and bridges, vital links that connect people to jobs, we’re supporting the movement of goods and creating economic growth in local communities,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “This funding not only helps municipalities maintain local infrastructure, but also supports projects that make roads safer, such as improvements to pedestrian crossings.”
Connecting Links are municipal roads that connect provincial highways through communities and to international and interprovincial border crossings. Through the Connecting Links Program, funding will be provided to eligible municipalities of up to 90 per cent of eligible project costs, up to a maximum of $3 million for road projects. In response to municipal feedback, starting in 2021-22, the province is permanently raising the maximum amount of available funding for bridge projects from $3 million to $5 million to reflect the higher costs of maintaining and repairing bridges compared to roads.
Eligible municipalities are also encouraged to apply for funding for the 2022-23 Connecting Links Program, which will be open to applications later this year.
