TORONTO, Ont. — The Ontario government is investing $9 million for the City of Sault Ste. Marie to improve its municipal infrastructure, announced Transportation Minister Harinder Takhar.

“More than 130,000 commercial trucks transport approximately $3.6 billion worth of goods through Sault Ste. Marie to get to the International Bridge crossing each year,” said Takhar. “It is vital these roads are kept in good repair to improve safety and traffic flow until the new truck route is complete.”

The investment is part of a larger plan to improve traffic flow and remove truck traffic from downtown streets, which will assist the city in maintaining and repairing roads, which have been used to link provincial truck traffic to the bridge crossing.

“The elimination of truck traffic from our busy downtown streets is great news for Sault Ste. Marie drivers,” said Sault Ste. Marie MPP David Orazietti. “Our government’s $9 million dollar investment will be used to significantly improve these roads, which over the years, have incurred substantial wear and tear from highway traffic.”