Maloway calls for Federal Government to Commit Infrastructure Funding for Expanded Disraeli Bridge

November 14, 2008

Jim Maloway, the new Member of Parliament for Elmwood-Transcona, has contacted the President of the Treasury Board Vic Toews who is the senior Federal Minister from Manitoba to ask for federal participation in efforts to expand the Disraeli Bridge and Freeway in downtown Winnipeg. Mr. Maloway has raised the issue of the Building Canada Fund infrastructure agreement signed just before the recent Federal election between the Governments of Canada and Manitoba as well as other related funding available from the Federal Government. The Building Canada Fund has been mentioned in media reports dealing with other proposed projects like the Waverley Underpass and the new football stadium. As well the Federal Government recently announced they are participating in a jointly funded 6 lane bridge in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. That participation takes the form of $70 million with near matching funds from the provincial and civic levels.

Mr. Maloway recognized that the City of Winnipeg needs to open their limited rehabilitation proposal that calls for a closure of the existing structure for at least 16 months to the participation of senior levels of government. Efforts to get the City to ask for help have been rejected to this point despite the efforts of councilors from the region of north-east Winnipeg.

The City has insisted they cannot afford more than their existing proposal but Jim has explained that it didn’t have the option of the Building Canada Fund when they settled for the limited proposal in June of this year. “Now would be an excellent time to move past the flawed proposal and to look after the present and future interests of all residents with a new 2 lane structure to be completed before the rehab of the existing bridge. People in the areas directly affected by the closure and all those users from a broader region, whether driving, using transit or cycling would be well served.”