Infrastructure upgrades are coming for the area of downtown Moncton as three levels of government announced an investment of a combined $22 million in funding.
Provincial, federal, and municipal officials announced Tuesday that $21 million is for the underground infrastructure. The remaining $1 million is for a ventilation project at Forest Glen School.
The province will invest $7 million, the federal government is providing $8.4 million and the City of Moncton is contributing $5.6 million.
Officials said the project at Forest Glen School also includes upgrades to the building automation systems to improve energy efficiency.
“We are experiencing unprecedented growth in the Greater Moncton area,” said Moncton-South MLA Greg Turner, in a news release.
“These downtown upgrades will ensure we have reliable water and wastewater infrastructure that will support this growth and at the same time, mitigate the risks associated with climate change.”
The provincial government says the downtown project involves installing a dedicated storm sewer system to provide sewer separation on Lutz, Robinson and Westmorland streets.
The streets would be fully reconstructed, with utility lines, like telephone, internet and power, being moved underground to improve reliability during ice storms.
“Investments in infrastructure are investments in strong and sustainable communities,” said Ginette Petitpas Taylor, member of parliament for Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe.
“The upgrades to downtown Moncton wastewater systems and improvements to the ventilation system at Forest Glen School support a healthier community. These projects are important to helping local economies grow and communities thrive.”
Bryan Butler, deputy mayor for the City of Moncton, said staff worked diligently to plan for continued growth within the city’s downtown.
“Having the proper infrastructure in place will allow us to push forward and further densify this part of the city,” said Butler in a news release.
“We thank both the federal and provincial governments for their continued support on projects that may not always be highly visible, but which play a crucial role in our city’s future.”