Connecting Links funding announced for 2021–22
The Ontario Government has announced that it will make a further $30 million in funding available to municipalities through the Connecting Links program in 2021–22.
Municipalities that apply for, and receive, funding through the program can use the provincial cash to make repairs to, or rebuild, local roads and bridges. The funding each year is normally set at $30 million, although the province expanded the funding envelope for 2020–21 by $10 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The investment we are making today is not just about improving our roads and bridges. It's also about creating good jobs in communities across the province, ensuring businesses can get their goods to market, and getting people to work on time and home sooner so they can spend more time with their families," said Premier Doug Ford. "This investment is another part of our made-in-Ontario plan for growth, renewal and economic recovery."
The Connecting Links Program provides funding to eligible municipalities of up to 90 percent of eligible project costs, up to a maximum of $3 million for road projects. In response to municipal feedback, the province is permanently raising the maximum amount of available funding for bridge projects from $3 million to $5 million to reflect the higher costs of maintaining and repairing bridges compared to roads.
Eligible costs include the design, construction, renewal, rehabilitation and replacement of municipal roads and bridges that connect two ends of a provincial highway through a community or to a border crossing.
Projects are evaluated for suitability based on technical need and safety considerations such as connecting link bridge and road condition, need for repair in the near term and cost effectiveness.
"Local bridges and roads are more important than ever for connecting people to jobs and supporting the movement of goods," said Kinga Surma, Associate Minister of Transportation (GTA). "By increasing the maximum funding for bridge projects, we are helping municipalities to keep local bridges safe while reducing pressure on local budgets."
Ontario has 77 municipalities eligible to apply for provincial funding through the Connecting Links Program for 2021–22, comprised of 352 kilometres of connecting links and 70 bridges.
The deadline to apply for Connecting Links funding for next year is November 6.