BURNSIDE: Traffic headaches for motorists in Sackville, Fall River, and Burnside area will improve in the future as a result of federal road infrastructure support from the federal government.
Surrounded by pallets of fish oil and soda drinks at Armour Transportation Systems in the Burnside Industrial Park, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Feb. 21 the federal government will be investing $86.5 million into a long overdue and much talked about Sackville-Bedford-Burnside Connector. It has been discussed for at least the past 20 years.
Now with this federal funding, that talk will become reality, with construction expected to start this Spring and be completed by 2023. The province is providing $110 million. HRM will contribute the remainder of the estimated $200-million for the project.
“We know families will get to work and back home quicker,” said Trudeau. “We know moving forward on something that has been talked about for so long, and actually finally being delivered is something a lot of people have been looking forward too.”
He said one of the commitments his government announced in 2015 was to put the largest plan to invest in infrastructure in Canada’s history in place.
“We knew investing in roads and transit, investing in housing, investing in green infrastructure, commercial infrastructure like ports and airports are the kinds of things that will create good jobs in the short-term,” said Trudeau, “but allows for economic growth and opportunity and quality of life for communities over the long-term.”
Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Lloyd Hines said Nova Scotia will be spending $110 million on the project.
HRM Deputy Mayor Tony Mancini said there are 2,000 companies and 30,000 workers based in the Burnside business park.
“It’s an essential economic driver for HRM and N.S.,” Mancini said.
MP Darrell Samson, who represents Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook, said communities from Fall River to Sackville, Hammonds Plains, and Bedford will benefit from the new connector upon it’s opening.
“When I was campaigning people were telling me we needed to get it this done,” Samson told The Laker after the conference. “It’s been a long process, but our government is focused on infrastructure and supporting communities.
“This new highway will also benefit Fall River, as it does Sackville and Bedford, because a lot of traffic from those areas are taking the roundabout and then going onto the 118. This is a win-win-win for everybody.”
