CALGARY, ALTA. – Alberta’s Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP) will support 87 municipal road, bridge and community airport projects in 50 communities across the province in 2017-18.
Budget 2017 includes $100 million in STIP funding over three years—with more than $37 million approved for projects in 2017-18—for municipal infrastructure, including local road bridges, resource roads and community airports in rural Alberta.
The 2017-18 investment is expected to support more than 200 jobs across the province as approved projects get underway.
"STIP funding helps our rural and smaller urban municipalities sustain their local transportation infrastructure which contributes to a higher quality of life in these communities," said Brian Mason, minister of transportation and infrastructure, in a statement.
Approved initiatives include a repaving project at Slave Lake Airport, bridge and culvert replacements in Big Lakes County and in the Municipal District of Lesser Slave River, and grading and other improvements on Cattle Ranch Road in the East Prairie Metis Settlement.
"Having both a forestry air tanker base and air medevac at the Slave Lake Airport, it is easy to see this airport is heavily used by the people of this region and surrounding area," said Tyler Warman, mayor of the Town of Slave Lake. "This infrastructure would not exist without provincial support, and after five years of lobbying we are excited to see the province investing again in regional airports."
The Government of Alberta restored funding to STIP as part of its $29.5-billion four-year capital plan.
The total eligible cost of the 87 projects is $61.4 million and the municipal contribution total is $24.2 million.
The project funding breakdown is as follows:
- Local Road Bridges Program: 67 projects are receiving $21.3 million in provincial funding. The contribution breakdown for this program is 75 per cent provincial and 25 per cent municipal funding.
- Resource Road Program: Five projects are receiving $9.3 million in provincial funding. This program provides 50 per cent provincial and 50 per cent municipal funding, to a maximum provincial grant amount of $3 million per project.
- Local Municipal Initiatives – Nine projects are receiving $4.6 million in provincial funding. The provincial/municipal contribution percentages vary based on project scoring.
- Community Airport Program – Six projects are receiving $2 million in provincial funding. The contribution breakdown for this program is 75 per cent provincial and 25 per cent municipal funding.
Slave Lake Airport (pictured) is one of many pieces of infrastructure that will benefit from Alberta’s Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP). The program will support 87 municipal road, bridge and community airport projects in 50 communities across the province in 2017-18.
Photo: Courtesy of Slave Lake Airport"
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