Alberta’s Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors was in Brazeau County last week for an upgrading rural infrastructure announcement.
Devin Dreeshen is pleased to announce that Alberta’s government has approved $66 million dollars in additional Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP) grants which will support 86 different road, bridge, and community airport projects all across the province.
Dreeshen knows this funding is critical to ensure Alberta communities have safe and efficient local infrastructure to help attract investment and also to improve travel for residents. He says “In Budget ’24, we actually increased funding for the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program, or lovingly known as STIP, and this program supports municipalities in improving critical local infrastructure. For STIP we actually allocated $111 million dollars in funding over three years, which is an $18 million dollar increase from the previous budget. Now, this dedicated funding helps smaller and rural municipalities maintain and improve local roads, bridges, and other key infrastructure.”
He notes that an $8 million dollar grant is also being provided to the West Inter-Lake District Regional Water Commission under the Water for Life program to support the last phase of an extensive regional water system project covering the inter-lake district, east of Edmonton. Dreeshen says “Now this last phase consists of an expansion of the water line from the West Inter-Lake District Regional Water System from Alberta Beach along the south shore communities of Lac St. Anne to eventually a truck fill station to be built at Darwell. We recognize how important local infrastructure projects like these are to support the growth and economic development in small rural communities and these investments will help ensure our communities have the infrastructure they need to prosper and support a high quality of life for all Albertans.”
According to a press release, more than $236 million dollars in grants will support 125 local transportation and water infrastructure projects in small and rural communities across the province.