Province, feds splitting $306M cost of extending divided TCH in eastern and central Newfoundland

The provincial and federal governments will split the cost of a project to dividetwo sections of the Trans-Canada Highway in Newfoundland, totalling about 55 kilometres.

At a news conference Monday, federal Infrastructure Minister Dominic LeBlancsaid each levelof government will spend up to $153 million on the project.

"These changes will enhance year-round transportation connections, improve traffic flow and make the Trans-Canada Highway more resilientto climate change and extreme weather events," he said, pointing to post-tropical storm Fiona as an example.

Currently, the divided section of the Trans-Canada Highway ends near Whitbourne, about 60 kilometres west of St. John's. LeBlanc said the new project will see that section extend by about 40 kilometres, to Little Harbour East.

The province will also add a 15-kilometre divided section between Grand Falls-Windsor and Bishops Falls.

LeBlanc said the projectwill include new culverts and higher-capacity interchanges.

The province is also spending $20 million to add 15 kilometres of passing lane to the highway leaving Port aux Basques.

Premier Andrew Furey said the funding is separate from previously announced roads upgrades.

He said the procurement process for the project will begin immediately, though he didn't give a timeline for project completion.

"Nothing's going to happen overnight, I think we all know that," he said.

LeBlanc said the federal governmentis also committed tothe completion of the Team Gushue Highway, which currently stretches from the Outer Ring Road in St. John's to Topsail Road.

The plan is to eventually connect the highway to Pitts Memorial Drive and Robert E. Howlett Memorial Drive, but the project has faced numerous delays. The first2.3-kilometre section opened in 2006, with a secondfour-kilometre section opening in 2018.

"It's part of a sort of final list thetwo governmentsagreed upon in terms of federal-provincial infrastructure fundings," he said.

LeBlanc said Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan who represents St. John's South-Mount Pearl will have an announcement about the Team Gushue Highway "in the coming days."

Opposition, NDPreact

Furey said his government is "fully committed and fully certain" the Team Gushue Highwaywill be completed, but interim PCLeader David Brazil criticized the delay.

"I don't have a lot of faith in the present [provincial Transportation Minister Elvis Loveless] or this administration to be able to follow through on getting things done in a timely fashion," he said.

NDPLeader Jim Dinn said the announcement is good news at least,for those with access to a vehicle.

"I think we've got to start really looking at what we do for all those people in the province who don't drive, who are seniors, newcomers who come here looking for a public transportation system that's both regional, provincial as well as metro," he said.

Advocates havepointed to a lack of transportation as a key obstacle for newcomers to Newfoundland and Labrador.

"We've really got tofind a way of how we make public transit greener and more accessible for people throughout the province," Dinn said.

Furey argues for reversal of Marine Atlantic surcharge

Provincial officials said last weekthe province was considering legal action against the federal government over a four per cent increase to the fuel surcharge on Marine Atlantic crossings, set to come into effect June 1.

Furey said he spoke to federal Transport MinisterOmar Alghabraover the weekendto argue for the reversal of the increase.

"I expressed my disappointmentand frustration with this move from Marine Atlantic," he said. "It's a critical piece for us in the province and the delivery of goods and services."

Furey said he argued for the reversal of the the increaseand for changes to Marine Atlantic's cost-recovery model, which he called "broken."

Furey said discussions are continuing, but didn't say if the increase will be reversed.

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