Ontario Building a Safer, More Reliable Transportation System

Additional funding supports road and highway projects in municipalities across the province

TORONTO — The Ontario government is helping to connect communities and create jobs by providing an additional $10 million in funding for the Connecting Links program. The funding is part of Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19 and will support road and highway projects in nine more municipalities across the province. Today’s announcement brings the total annual investment for this program to $40 million.

“Our roads and bridges are vital links that connect people to jobs and make it easier for people to get where they need to go,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “The additional funding for the Connecting Links program will help even more municipalities keep our roadways safe while driving economic growth and job creation in their communities.”

The 2020-21 Connecting Links program supports municipalities across the province to help them build, repair or replace municipal roads and bridges that connect two ends of a provincial highway through a community or to a border crossing.

Ontario has selected nine new municipalities bringing the total municipalities receiving funding from this year’s Connecting Links program to 33.

Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19 provided $17 billion in relief, including additional resources for the health care system and direct support for people and jobs,” said Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance and Chair of Ontario’s Jobs and Recovery Committee. “We are following through on our commitment to build a better transportation system and invest in roads and bridges to support the economy and jobs during this difficult time.

Eligible municipalities are also encouraged to apply for funding for the 2021-22 Connecting Links Program, which will be open to applications later this year.

Quick Facts

• Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19 is a first step in its response to COVID-19 and includes $7 billion in additional resources for the health care system and direct support for people and jobs.
• It also will make available $10 billion for people and businesses through interest and penalty relief measures and other deferrals to improve their cash flow, protecting jobs and household budgets.
• The Connecting Links program is delivered through the Ministry of Transportation. The funding covers up to 90 per cent of eligible project costs, to a maximum of $3 million. Eligible costs include the design, construction, renewal, rehabilitation and replacement of connecting links.

Background Information

• Building a Safer, More Reliable Transportation System

Additional Resources

• Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19

SOURCE: Ontario Government – Ministry of Transportation