$100M for S.E. ring road announced

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in his hometown Friday morning to announce $100 million in federal funding for Calgary's proposed southeast ring road.

The money will help build a six-lane divided highway will run 25 kilometres with no traffic lights from Chapparal Boulevard to Highway 1A. It will connect Highway 22X along 84th to 17th Avenue and include nine interchanges, two flyover railway crossings and 29 total bridge structures.

Premier Ed Stelmach, who was at the announcement, said construction should start next spring and be completed by the end of 2013.

The province announced in March that it would build the southeast ring road under a private-public partnership.

Three companies bidding

Three companies are currently bidding to design, construct, finance and operate the road for 30 years.

The province said the southeast ring road will cost hundreds of millions of dollars, but would shave two years off the timeline by being built through a public-private agreement rather than a conventional public project.

Meanwhile, the southwest portion of the ring road is hanging on a tenative deal between the T'ina First Nation and the province. About 800 out of 1,600 band members are eligible to vote on a proposal that would allow part of the road to cross the First Nation's land on June 30.

Funding for sports hall of fame announced

The federal government made another major funding announcement in Calgary on Thursday, this time for Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

Federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice, Alberta Culture Minister Jim Prentice and Mayor Dave Bronconnier announced $30 million in joint funding to build a 3,716-square-metre venue for the hall of fame at Canada Olympic Park. Any extra funding needed is expected to come from corporate and private sectors.