The Road Ahead

As a New Brunswicker, I am pleased to share the first Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI) 3-Year Capital Investment Plan for our province. Appropriately named “The Road Ahead”, this plan demonstrates some of the ways we are changing how our department manages our current transportation infrastructure as well as how we interact with communities, collaborate with industry and how we are going to operate into the future. Our goal is to provide the best service possible while maintaining our fiscal responsibilities.

It is not a secret that New Brunswick is faced with the burdens of aging infrastructure and limited funds. That is why this plan is centered on asset management principles focused on maintaining what we have. Asset management is the key to extending the useful life of DTI infrastructure while minimizing long-term capital spending.

We believe this published three-year plan will demonstrate our commitment to communicate directly with New Brunswickers as well as be more transparent and accountable. How does The Road Ahead Plan help accomplish this?

• Communicate – During the development of this plan, we have listened to New Brunswickers, elected officials and Municipalities. We understand the concerns and frustrations and we believe this plan helps address those concerns.
   
• Transparent – By publishing this three-year plan, residents can see when, how and what projects are planned. One of the most exciting parts of this plan is our new online public viewer. This tool allows the public to see project locations and a short description on a map application located on our DTI website.
   
• Accountable – We strive to do the planned work on time and on budget. We expect to be held accountable and that is why we will produce a report each spring showing the work we have completed as well as the projects that were not completed with rationale for why.

We know there is more to do beyond this plan, but it is a giant step forward in progress toward ensuring the travelling public has safe, reliable, and resilient infrastructure for years to come. As the Minister responsible for DTI, I am proud of our team. Preparing this plan has been a huge undertaking and we are very pleased to share it. With the third most surfaced roads in Canada per capita, following this plan provides a sustainable pathway forward.

Hon. Jill Green
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

The Road Ahead is a 3-Year Capital Investment Plan that outlines how the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI) plans to build, repair and maintain our province’s transportation network. It identifies which projects are planned, when they are planned and the overall expected investments. As part of the development of this plan, we have consulted with and listened to New Brunswickers, elected officials and Municipalities.

Developing and publishing a 3-Year Capital Investment Plan provides transparency 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.
• The transportation industry has the opportunity to plan for upcoming work. Early identification of projects is a large step in efficiently delivering capital programs.

DTI’s 3-Year Capital Investment Plan identifies its planned capital investments in transportation assets as determined by evidence-based tools and documented processes. While there may be a need to modernize and, in some case, expand the highway infrastructure because of the aging infrastructure needs, DTI’s main focus in the foreseeable future is to preserve the existing assets.

This is a rolling 3-year plan, which provides projects for the fiscal years 2022 to 2024 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.

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 $1.13 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)