The Road Ahead

I am pleased to share the 2024 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 last year’s capital investment plan.

Four new passing lanes have been constructed along key stretches of Route 11 between Bouctouche and Miramichi, with more planned.

The new Kouchibouguac River Bridge No. 1 in Cap-Acadie and the first two of four phases of the Saint John Harbour Bridge Rehabilitation project were completed. Approximately 20 culvert and bridge projects were completed over the past year as well.

This 2024 plan 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, it also shows how we will operate into the future with an active plan centered around DTI’s existing asset management principles.

Honourable Richard Ames
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

In spring 2022, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI) shared its first 3-Year Capital Investment Plan, called The Road Ahead. This plan outlined how DTI would build, repair and maintain the province’s assets – roads, bridges, culverts, and ferries.

The Road Ahead is a 3-year rolling plan and each year the department releases a new edition which outlines investments for the three subsequent years. The 2024 edition of The Road Ahead is the third release and outlines planned transportation projects for the fiscal years 2024-2025 to 2026-2027.

Publishing this 3-year plan is a way for DTI to show transparency and responsibility regarding future projects.

Benefits include:

• DTI has a clear plan for projects over the next three years.
• Industry can get ready for upcoming projects. Knowing about these projects in advance helps in more efficient delivery of capital programs.
• The public is informed on the status of completed and ongoing projects and comment on changes.
• $ 1.5 Billion is planned to be invested over the next three years. This plan forms the basis for the multi-year budget and helps the government understand how much money is required to finance these projects and programs.
   

DTI is responsible for a significant portion of the Government of New Brunswick’s infrastructure. This includes the following:
 

 
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 $1.528 million 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)

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.