I am pleased to share the 2023 edition of the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure’s (DTI) 3-Year Capital Investment Plan for New Brunswick.
The updated version of the “The Road Ahead” maintains DTI’s goal to provide the best service possible while maintaining fiscal responsibility for our projects.
We have made significant progress on many new and ongoing Capital infrastructure projects since the release of our initial 3-Year Capital Investment Plan in 2022.
In St. Martins, the new Vaughan Creek Covered Bridge was completed in September, becoming the only two lane covered bridge in New Brunswick.
In October, Fredericton’s new Brookside Roundabout opened to traffic, a project made possible with the help of funding under our capital highway program.
While many communities celebrated the success of recently completed projects, “The Road Ahead - 2023” also details next steps for the renewal and replacement of many key assets, including some that are underway as part of multi-year construction plans.
This plan not only demonstrates how we manage our current transportation infrastructure, interact with communities, and collaborate with industry partners – it also shows how we will operate into the future with an active plan centered around DTI’s existing asset management principles.
We believe this rolling three-year plan will continue to demonstrate our commitment to transparency and accountability in communicating directly with New Brunswickers.
As the Minister responsible for DTI, this second edition of “The Road Ahead” provides the next step in our ongoing progress toward ensuring the travelling public has safe, reliable, and resilient infrastructure for years to come.
Honourable Jeff Carr
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
In spring 2022, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI) released its first 3-Year Capital Investment Plan, called The Road Ahead. This plan outlined how DTI would build, repair and maintain the province’s transportation network. The 3-Year Capital Investment Plan details expected investments in our transportation assets, including highways, bridges, large culverts and ferries. The 2023 edition of The Road Ahead is the second release of a rolling 3-Year plan and identifies planned capital investments for the fiscal years 2023-2025. This edition of The Road Ahead includes an update on completed, new and ongoing projects and programs, including the status of the projects from 2022.
Developing and publishing a rolling 3-Year Capital Investment Plan demonstrates transparency and accountability regarding future projects and has several main benefits, including the following:
- DTI has a defined plan for project implementation over the next three years.
- The public is informed of when and where work is planned.
- Industry has the opportunity to plan for upcoming work. Early identification of projects is a large step in efficiently delivering capital programs.
- The public is informed on the status of ongoing projects and any changes to projects and/or programs.
- Over the next three years, $1.3 billion is planned to be invested. The plan forms the basis for the multi-year budget submission and provides a level of detail that helps government understand the financial resources required to finance the identified projects and programs.
This is a rolling 3-year plan, which provides projects for the fiscal years 2023 to 2025 and is updated annually to add future years’ projects. The plan forms the basis for the multi-year budget submission and provides a level of detail that helps government understand the financial resources required to finance the identified projects and programs.
Due to municipal reform, there is not currently a project list for The Provincial Municipal Highway Partnership (PMHP) program for 2025-26. The 2025-26 program is under development and will be published in the next edition of the Road Ahead.
DTI is responsible for a significant portion of the Government of New Brunswick’s infrastructure. This includes the following:
18,000 km of highways
5,500 bridges and large culverts
8 river ferries and 7 crossings
5 coastal ferries and 3 crossings
4,200 fleet vehicles
6 million square feet of government-owned buildings and 142 leases
10,230 radio units
56 tower sites
Short-line rail oversight
The 3-Year Capital Investment Plan details DTI’s expected investments in our transportation assets – highways, bridges, large culverts and the provincial ferry network. The projects under this plan do not include public-private partnership (P3) projects.
As shown in the figure below, approximately $1.3 billion is planned to be invested over the next 3 years in transportation projects. This budget breakdown is subject to change annually, depending on yearly budget approvals.
Three Year Capital Program Planned Budget ($ millions)
Total: $1.3 billion
Total Highway Program ($788)
Total Federal/Provincial Program ($243)
Total Bridge Program ($250)
PMHP Program ($60)
In the figure above, the Bridge Program provides funding for the construction of Bridges, Ferries and Ferry Landings. The Highway Program provides funding for the construction and upgrading of Provincial Highways. The Federal-Provincial Program provides funding for cost-sharing agreements between New Brunswick and the Federal Government for the construction and upgrading of Highways and Bridges. The Provincial-Municipal Highway Partnership (PMHP) is a program between DTI and municipalities, which was formally known as Municipal Designated Highway Program (MDH). The PMHP provides funding to support rehabilitation and repairs to Provincially Designated Highways within municipalities.
