CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island recently completed six jointly funded construction projects under the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP).

The total value of the highway construction component was $11.6 million, a 50/50 split between federal and provincial funding.

“By partnering with the federal government through programs like SHIP we are leveraging investments to upgrade the safety and quality of the National Highway System on Prince Edward Island for trade, transportation and tourism. We are pleased to work with the federal government to further those goals,” said Gail Shea, Minister of Transportation and Public Works for Prince Edward Island.

The six roadway projects funded through SHIP cover a variety of improvements to enhance safety, traffic flow and capacity to the National Highway System in Prince Edward Island. These include projects along Trans-Canada Highway Route 1, such as a bridge replacement in Pinette; the establishment of controlled intersections at Park Street in Charlottetown and at John Street in Cornwall; the realignment and widening of Riverside Drive and extension of Murchison Lane in Charlottetown; and highway rehabilitation work on Route 2, the province’s Veterans Memorial Highway at Springfield and Summerfield.

A value-added component of the Riverside Drive/Murchison Lane project involved the establishment of a pedestrian walkway adjacent to Murchison Lane overlooking the Hillsborough River, a National Heritage River. This walkway safely links residents and cyclists with nearby health, education and recreation facilities.

In May 2006, the federal government committed up to $7.5 million under the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF) in Prince Edward Island towards improvements on Trans-Canada Highway Route 2 between Charlottetown and Summerside.

Further, in the 2006 Federal Budget, the Government of Canada has committed $16.5 billion over the next four years for provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure, including $2.4 billion over the next five years from the Highways and Border Infrastructure Fund.