Funding for Highway 3 bridge replacement subject to province’s “fiscal health”

Jul 26, 2019 | 11:04 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The UCP government is reviewing all of the previously-promised funding from the NDP administration, including a massive $100-million investment for the Highway 3 bridge replacement in Lethbridge.

Back in March of this year, then-Transportation Minister Brian Mason announced that the bridge spanning the Oldman River would be replaced by a new one that would have three lanes in each direction.

Now, a statement from the Ministry to Lethbridge News Now claims that they “intend to honour the NDP’s budgeted infrastructure commitments, subject to the advice that we get from the McKinnon panel regarding the province’s fiscal health.”

Minister Ric McIver continues to say that the Highway 3 bridge was one of several projects that was announced just before the provincial election, but is “not included” in the United Conservative budget.

He affirms, however, that the project will be considered as part of the overall capital planning process.

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In an interview with LNN a few days after the NDP funding announcement, Jason Kenney said during his election campaign that he would keep infrastructure funding in place, including the $100-million for the bridge replacement. More details here.

The independent funding review panel is chaired by Saskatchewan’s former Finance Minister Janice MacKinnon. The mandate for the panel is to balance the province’s budget by 2022-23 without raising taxes.

It is expected to wrap up its investigation by August 15th, 2019.

LNN has reached out to Lethbridge West NDP MLA Shannon Phillips for comment.

by David Opinko