The federal government confirmed it will provide more than $1.1 million in funding to replace the Hawk Lake Road bridge in Algonquin Highlands.
The federal government announced Aug. 16 it would fund the project on the 94-year-old bridge for $1,125,993 under the Investing in Canada infrastructure Program, representing approximately half the total cost of the project.
As part of a larger announcement for several projects in the region, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities parliamentary secretary Marco Mendicino said the infrastructure represented a quality of life improvement.
“Building safe and efficient roads allow Canadians to spend less time in traffic on their way to work and more quality time with their families,” Mendicino said.
The project will widen the bridge but keep it single lane. The bridge will also gain enough load capacity for firetrucks to cross it. Currently, they must take a 12-kilometre detour. The province originally nominated the bridge for federal funding in June.
The province will contribute $750,587 to the bridge while the County of Haliburton will pay $375,406.
The federal government also announced four other infrastructure projects would receive funding, but the remainder are in the Muskoka area.
There was no information regarding other local infrastructure projects awaiting confirmation of federal funding, such as the South Wilberforce Road bridge replacement and the Minden Hills Sedgwick Bridge replacement. Infrastructure Canada confirmed those two projects are still being reviewed.
