OTTAWA, Ont. — Prime Minister Jean Chretien is expected to promise the country’s municipalities billions of dollars in transportation funding, in his throne speech next week.

Chretien is planning a visit to the border on Wednesday to set the tone for the announcement, with a $100-million commitment to help improve the congested Windsor-Detroit corridor. Following that announcement, sources say there will be a series of similar announcements right across the country over the course of the next few months.

The throne speech, to be read next week at the opening of Parliament, will likely include further details about a massive spending plan intended to help municipalities address their own transportation issues and fix the country’s roadways.

A senior source recently told media the exact amount of the spending won’t be spelled out until the next federal budget, which will be released either this fall or next spring.