CHARLOTTETOWN, (April 5, 2004) — Transport Canada has told the government of P.E.I it is receptive to the province’s eight-year request to make Route 2 a national highway.

Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea said her department is inching closer to the deal — which requires the approval of the nine other provinces. She told local media that preliminary discussions with the provinces indicate they are interested in backing the plan, which would make Route 2 eligible for federal funding.

Currently, the Trans-Canada Highway is the only highway funded by the Canadian government. P.E.I. has been arguing for close to a decade that Route 2 — which runs from Tignish to Souris — should be classified as a national highway because it is the island’s main artery, linking one end of the province to the other.

If an agreement is reached, the federal government, under the national highway program, would be obligated to provide funding for the bumpy road’s much-needed upgrades and maintenance.

— with files from the Journal Pioneer