Ontario Construction News staff writer
Municipalities will get $30 million through the Ontario Connecting Links Program for 2021-22 to build, repair or replace local roads and bridges. The investment will help create jobs and keep people and goods moving as the province continues to recover from COVID-19, says Premier Doug Ford.
“The investment we are making today is not just about improving our roads and bridges. It’s also about creating good jobs in communities across the province, ensuring businesses can get their goods to market, and getting people to work on time and home sooner so they can spend more time with their families,” Ford said. “This investment is another part of our made-in-Ontario plan for growth, renewal and economic recovery.”
The Connecting Links Program provides funding 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, 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 costs include design, construction, renewal, rehabilitation and replacement of municipal roads and bridges that connect two ends of a provincial highway through a community or to a border crossing.
“Local bridges and roads are more important than ever for connecting people to jobs and supporting the movement of goods,” said Kinga Surma, associate minister of transportation.
“By increasing the maximum funding for bridge projects, we are helping municipalities to keep local bridges safe while reducing pressure on local budgets.”
A total of 77 municipalities are eligible to apply online for funding before 5:00 p.m. on Nov. 6, by visiting the Ministry of Transportation’s Connecting Links page.