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Alberta’s provincial government has earmarked $8.5 billion in Budget 2025 for the Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors’ three-year strategic plan.
If approved, the funding would include more than $4 billion for rural projects, $2.1 billion for the Calgary region and $2 billion for the Edmonton region.“As Alberta grows, so does the need for safe, reliable, and effective infrastructure to support communities across the province to attract investment and boost economic development,” said Devin Dreeshen, minister of transportation and economic corridors.The province has allocated $2.6 billion for planning, design and construction of major highway and bridge projects that it says will create thousands of jobs across Alberta and improve traffic flow by twinning major corridors like highways 3 and 11 and completing major improvements to Deerfoot Trail in Calgary and Highway 881.
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The budget also includes $1.7 billion over three years for capital maintenance, extending the life of the province’s existing road and bridge network. “Building and fixing roads and bridges improves the productivity of Alberta’s economy,” said Ron Glen, CEO of the Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association. “We’ve said for a long time as contractors that we need stable funding to allow for our member companies to have the ability to plan for the future of Alberta.”In addition to the highway work, the budget also includes significant funding for LRT projects in Calgary and Edmonton. It has set aside $5 million for planning a new transit solution connecting the Calgary airport terminal with the future Blue Line LRT extension station.
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“Transit infrastructure is critical, connecting people to each other, to employment, to social services, to local businesses, and in the case of the airport, to the world,” said Ruhee Ismail-Teja with the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.Ismail-Teja says having a direct transit hub will support Calgary employers and employees, as well as tourism, and will strengthen the city and province’s role in global trade.“Efficient transportation infrastructure isn’t just about moving people, it’s about making our cities more competitive and attracting new business opportunities,” Ismail-Teja said. “Smart infrastructure investments don’t just meet today’s needs; they create opportunities for future growth.”If passed, Budget 2025 would also allocate $240.1 million to build and repair water management infrastructure to provide irrigation for the agricultural section and flood mitigation for Alberta communities.
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