Despite reports there could be federal money flowing to Sudbury for the long-awaited Maley Drive extension project, the federal government remains silent.
The Maley Drive extension project dates back to the 1980s and currently carries a price tag of more than $80 million for phase one. Upon completion, it would become a ring road around part of the north end of Sudbury and would provide an east-west alternative to The Kingsway and Lasalle Boulevard, ostensibly to serve the city’s vast mining sector. Beginning at Municipal Road 35 (Elm Street), the new Maley Drive would connect to Frood Road and College Boreal before crossing Municipal Road 80, north of the Lasalle/Notre Dame intersection. It would then continue through New Sudbury, intersecting with a proposed extension of Montrose Avenue before meeting Barrydowne Road, where the current thoroughfare begins.
Once complete, Maley Drive could end at the Falconbridge Road or continue eastward.
A three-way cost-sharing agreement would see the provincial and federal governments each contributing $26.7 million, with the city topping up the rest. That could swell to more than $41 million, according to an April 2014 background study on development charges that was prepared by Hemson Consulting Ltd.
Last week, the Globe and Mail published an article in which it stated, “a source told The Globe that the list includes road work in Sudbury as well as highway improvements for the Queen Elizabeth Way and Highway 404.”
As of Tuesday, the federal government was not speaking publicly about any forthcoming commitments; however, a well-informed source has confirmed to The Star he has been told an announcement regarding Maley Drive is on the way.
Michele-Jamali Paquette, the director of communications for Denis Lebel, the federal minister of infrastructure, communities and intergovernmental affairs, emailed The Star a vaguely worded statement regarding the status of the funding request.
“Under the provincial-territorial infrastructure component of the New Building Canada Fund, provinces and territories have the responsibility to identify and prioritize projects for consideration for funding by Infrastructure Canada,” she wrote. “While we have received a project proposal for the Maley Drive project, we cannot confirm any more details at this point. We will work with our provincial and territorial counterparts as we invest in public infrastructure through the $53 billion New Building Canada Plan.”
Brad Duguid, the provincial minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, reiterated Tuesday the Liberal commitment to the project.
“We know the project is very important to the people of Sudbury as it will reduce congestion along two of the city’s main arterial roads,” Andrew Forgione, Duguid’s spokesperson, wrote in an email to The Star. “In our 2014 budget, our government committed up to $26.7 million for the first phase of the expansion of Maley Drive, subject to matching municipal and federal contributions – showing our dedication to this important project.
“We also nominated this project as a priority infrastructure application under the federal government’s Building Canada Fund in December 2014. We will continue calling on the federal government to come to the table and cover their third of the cost of the project.”
Melissa Zanette, Mayor Brian Bigger’s chief of staff, confirmed earlier this year the city has set aside more than $10 million for the project.
Jonathan Laderoute, Bigger’s communications and media relations officer, told The Star on Tuesday his office has not heard from the federal government and remains unaware on when, or if, an announcement will be made.
“We have not been engaged formally from the federal government on anything to do with Maley Drive,” he said. “At this point, all we know is that we have the province on side and we remain optimistic.”
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