Improving road safety in Powassan and Mattawa

Nipissing MPP Monique Smith
News Release

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The Ontario government is investing $370,000 in Powassan and $700,000 in Mattawa to improve road safety, create jobs and strengthen the local economy.

Work includes:

• rebuilding Highway 522 from Barrett Street east for just under one kilometre in Powassan

• rebuilding Highway 533 from the Mattawa River Bridge to Grahame Street in Mattawa.

The Connecting Link program helps municipalities repair their roadways and bridges that connect two ends of a provincial highway. This is part of the Open Ontario plan to invest over $32 billion in infrastructure to strengthen the economy. This is creating and sustaining over 300,000 jobs.

“This investment made through the Connecting Link program will help the communities of Powassan and Mattawa to build safer roadways for families and visitors, while stimulating the economy through job creation,” said Monique Smith, MPP for Nipissing.

“Our Connecting Link program is one way we show our long-term commitment to Ontario’s rural and northern communities and to the families who live there. These investments mean safer roadways, economic renewal and job creation,” said Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Transportation.

QUICK FACTS

• There are about 350 kilometres of roads and 70 bridges along connecting links in 77 municipalities across Ontario.

• This year, the Province is providing 23 communities with $18.2 million for road and bridge repairs to ensure driver safety and strong local economies.

• Since 2003, the McGuinty government has invested more than $129 million in the Connecting Link program to help eligible municipalities fund more than 240 road and bridge improvement projects.

Ontario invested $2.8 billion in highway construction in Ontario in 2010/2011.

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