Feds, province ante up $272M for Route 11 upgrades

The federal and provincial governments will spend $272 million to twin a section of Route 11 between Shediac and Bouctouche and to create a new bypass near Miramichi.

About 20 kilometres, from south ofShediacRiver to south of the LittleBouctoucheRiver, will be turned into a four-lane highway, and an 11-kilometre, two-lane bypass will be built betweenGlenwoodandMiramichi, Premier Brian Gallant announced Friday.

The upgrades are expected to improve safety, traveland trade, and create about2,700 construction jobs over the next four years.

Route 11 is the main highway from northeastern New Brunswick to Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and the United States and provides access to ports, airports and rail hubs.

The southern stretch of the route has seen a rise in traffic levels because of growth in the region.

'Too many accidents'

On some untwinned stretches, average traffic counts are projected to increase to 10,000 vehicles a day,the government said in a news release announcing the twinning project.

Thosewould be among the highest traffic counts for any comparable two-lane arterial stretches of highway in New Brunswick, the release stated.

"You can imagine people from the small communities on the east coast that want to get to other parts of the province and they have to go through this artery that's very busy and as we know have unfortunately had too many accidents on it," said Gallant.

Hundreds of crashes, including dozens of collisions withwildlife, have been recorded along theGlenwood-Miramichicorridor over the past 10 years. There were 33 collisions and seven moose-vehicle collisions from 2013 to 2015, the province said.

The southern stretch of Route 11, from Shediac to Little Bouctouche river, saw 60 collisions, including nine moose-vehicle collisions,in recent years.

The province is committing $147.1 million to the highway project, and the federal government $125.2 million.

Expected to pave way to economic growth

"Businesses in KentCounty, on the Miramichi, and throughout our province will be able to get their products to markets more efficiently," Gallant said in a news release.

"People have been talking about upgrading Route 11 for decades," said Gallant."By working with all partners, we are finally getting it done."

Federal cabinet minister DominicLeBlanc, the MP for Beausjour, said the infrastructure project will help rural residents get emergency services and "make it easier for businesses to get their goods to markets."

Bouctouche Mayor Roland Fougresaid the upgrades will be a game changer for his town.

He expects the changes will help boost the economy, and he hopes to see more improvements to Route 11 in the future.

"And I think it's just going to keep on trucking for the next few years we hope so anyway that we'll hear a second phase, not only the first phase."

Construction of the Glenwood-Miramichi Route 11 bypass is expected to beginin the spring of 2018 and to be completed in the fall of 2021.

Theproject from south of Shediac River to south of the Little Bouctouche River will start in 2017 and be completed in late 2021.

This construction also builds on the previous phases of work that started in the summer of 2014 between Route 15 and ShediacRiver, which was part of a previous federal funding agreement.