N.B. needs to be transparent with road spending: opposition parties
CBC News | Posted: April 27, 2018 1:08 AM | Last Updated: April 27, 2018
Critics say Route 11 twinning based on imprecise traffic data
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More transparency is needed when prioritizing road construction in New Brunswick, say opposition parties that accuse the governing Liberals of resorting to the timeless tradition of politicizing roadwork.
The Gallant administration was criticized for continuing its plan to twin two stretches of Route 11 in southeast New Brunswick near Moncton. The latest phase of the project comes with a $180-million price tag.
Opposition critics say the government hasn't done enough to justify the major undertaking in a cash-strapped province, adding that the move comes with a September election looming.
As CBC News reported this week, the province said it can't release precise traffic data that would warrant the twinning project. Instead, the province released statistics from two traffic counters that recorded a daily average of 8,090 vehicles in 2016.
That meets the 8,000-vehicle benchmark that suggests the project is needed, said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Bill Fraser, who added traffic volume is only one of several factors considered.
Strategic investment
On the latest edition of the CBC New Brunswick Political Panel podcast, the minister said factors such as projected traffic, economic growth, and public safety are also considered when making the decision.
Fraser said the highway project is not political but is that of a government "investing in strategic infrastructure to grow the economy and, most importantly, provide safe passage for New Brunswickers who travel on that road on a daily basis."
The other panellists weren't buying it. They called on the minister to release all available information that would justify the highway twinning — including the business case Fraser said was pitched to Ottawa in a bid for federal funding.
"I think most New Brunswickers are cynical about how these decisions are made," said NDP Leader Jennifer McKenzie.
She said the province should make public its analysis of all roads that need improvement and the criteria that outlines which projects get financed.
People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin said the state of New Brunswick's roads show the province has trouble maintaining the existing ones. Austin said maintenance should be the priority before $180 million is spent on a twinned highway.
"It's money we don't have for roads we don't need," he said.