RED ROCK, Ont. -- The federal government is contributing $83 million to help fast-track the twinning of Highway 11/17 between Thunder Bay and Nipigon.
In total 26 kilometres of highway will be four-lanes, encompassing three separate sections of the Trans-Canada Highway.
Work will include a 6.5-kilometre stretch between Coughlin Road to Highway 582 ($26.9 million), a further five kilometres east from Coughlin Road to Red Rock Road 9 ($26 million) and 14.8 kilometres from Highway 587 to Pearl Creek Road ($30 million).
Two bridges will also be built over the Black Sturgeon River.
"Highway 11/17, as you know, has been a concern for many years, for the reason of safety, for the reason of true economic development," said Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Patty Hajdu said on Friday, making the announcement outside of Red Rock, Ont.
"This is really a step forward for our region."
Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle called it great news for motorists.
Gravelle has been championing the highway expansion between the two Northern Ontario communities for two decades, and said with about half already completed or under construction, it's great to see more work will be done.
He added the province will pick up the remaining cost to complete the 26-kilometre stretch, but since tenders have yet to go out, he was unsure what the final bill would be for taxpayers.
"It's very exciting and we're very grateful to the federal government for this incredibly significant investment," Gravelle said.
"It's eighty-three million dollars for three separate projects of four-laning between Thunder Bay and Nipigon, each of which will help move the project forward more quickly."
The previous Conservative government in 2015 promised $56 million to complete much of the same work, but the money never materialized once the party was voted out of office.
Hajdu said this time the projects will go ahead as planned.
