Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to direct my question to the Minister of Transportation and ask: Why is Highway No. 1 from the border to Enterprise not on any of the existing and proposed Building Canada bundles?
Masi. Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Transportation undertakes long-term functional planning to determine how to gain the best value of limited resources. Highway reconstruction requirements are also prioritized to ensure that highways are safe for the travelling public. When drafting the proposals for bundle one, the priority scope and work plan for Highway No. 1 was from Kilometres 187 to 690 and was based on functional planning outcomes. Priority will be given to the sections of the deteriorating highway between Kilometres 207 and 230, and between Kilometres 375 and 395, to address critical needs and ensure public safety. At present, no major improvement work is scheduled between Enterprise and the Alberta border. Reconstruction and widening work between the Kilometre 15 and Kilometre 18 was completed in 2013 under the previous Building Canada Plan. The department continues to deliver regular maintenance as required on that section of highway, and Highway No. 1 between Enterprise and Alberta is paved. The department will provide additional investment in the highway as rehabilitation requirements arise.
It's good to hear we got work on those three kilometres.
---Laughter
Is there anything else that might be included in bundles one or two that would include any work or benefit to Highway No. 1 at all?
The first bundle of projects will invest $14 million in improvements to Highway No. 1. Over the next four years, the department will be working to widen and reconstruct some sections of the highway from Kilometres 375 to 395, and Kilometres 207 to 212. That work includes geometric, structural, and drainage improvements; grade widening; culvert replacement; and applying chipseal. Under the second bundle of Building Canada Plan projects, the department is seeking to rehabilitate or replace bridges, including the Hay River and Pine Point Bridges, and the Buffalo River Bridge in the South Slave region.
That doesn't quite address the border to Enterprise. Are there any shovel-ready projects in the South Slave?
I am pleased to note that the department is currently working on two other highway infrastructure projects in the South Slave. In 2015-2016, the department completed improvements to Highway No. 2 between Hay River and Enterprise, for approximately $3 million. Over the next several years, the department will reconstruct and chip seal up to 34 kilometre of Highway No. 6 to Fort Resolution, with an estimated value of $17 million. In the meantime, the department continues to apply regular maintenance measures across all highways.
Masi. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad to see that the South Slave is getting some attention. What South Slave projects could potentially be considered as shovel-ready?
The department has identified several projects that could be pursued if the federal government came to us with a request for shovel-ready projects. This includes further improvements to Highway No. 1 south of Enterprise to the border, including widening, strengthening the embankment, and improving drainage. Other shovel-ready projects that could be considered under new stimulus funding from Canada include reconstruction and chipsealing of the remaining 64 kilometres of Highway No. 5 and the Wood Buffalo National Park. That's in addition to the airport runway overlays in Fort Smith and Hay River, and replacing the airport terminal building in Fort Resolution. The total cost of these five projects would be in the neighbourhood of $46.5 million. We are waiting for more information from the federal government regarding the details of the new stimulus funding on infrastructure, including eligibility criteria. Once we have that information, we will be able to determine which of these projects might be eligible for federal funding.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
