SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. (June 6, 2005) — A new $12.6 million truck route to the International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. has been announced by the Ontario and Canadian governments.

Trucks will bypass the downtown area by using a 3 km section of road connecting Highway 17 with the International Bridge via the Second Line Road and Hudson Street. The truck route is expected to be complete and open to traffic in September 2006.

The new route will cut travel time for trucks and eliminate several 90-degree turns, officials said. It mostly follow the existing Hudson Street and have only one intersection with traffic lights.

More than 120,000 commercial trucks carry about $3.5 billion of goods across the International Bridge each year.

“The border crossing at Sault Ste. Marie is an important gateway for goods moving between northeast Ontario and the U.S. Midwest,” said Minister of State Joe Comuzzi on behalf of Transport Minister Jean C. Lapierre. “This project, which will enhance safety and improve the flow of traffic, will be beneficial for area residents, as well as for visitors and for trade.”

The governments of Canada and Ontario will jointly contribute a total of $11.2 million for this project. Federal funding comes from the $65-million Border Crossing Transportation Initiatives component of the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP) announced in 2001. The City of Sault Ste. Marie will provide the remaining $1.4 million to complete construction, as well as up to $6.3 million to purchase property required for the truck route.