PM announces partnership between Canada and Quebec to extend Highway 5

August 14, 2021

CHELSEA, QUEBEC — Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that the governments of Canada and Quebec are working together to extend Highway 5 in the Outaouais region.

“The Government of Canada is taking extraordinary and unprecedented action to stimulate the Canadian economy in this time of global economic instability.  The extension of Highway 5, the largest infrastructure project in the Outaouais, will help the region’s economic development, create high-paying jobs and greatly enhance the quality of life and safety of residents of the Outaouais region,” said the Prime Minister.  “This project has been made possible through the cooperation of the governments of Canada and Quebec.  Working together allows us to stimulate the economy in these difficult times so that we can emerge from this global recession in the strongest position of any of the major industrialized countries.”

The work planned in this second phase of the Highway 5 project includes building 6.5 kilometres of four-lane divided highway between Meech Creek and Wakefield, as well as two interchanges and several bridges to ensure safety for local traffic.  These upgrades will reduce gridlock and make the road safer while contributing to economic growth and fostering the development of tourism in the region.

The governments of Canada and Quebec will each contribute up to 50 percent of the eligible costs for this phase of the project.  Construction is expected to begin in early winter 2010 and the segment should be open to traffic in 2012.

The Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan is accelerating and expanding the existing federal investment of $33 billion in infrastructure across Canada with almost $12 billion in new infrastructure stimulus funding over two years.



Backgrounder

EXTENSION OF HIGHWAY 5 IN THE OUTAOUAIS REGION

Over the past five years, both Highway 5 and Highway 105 have experienced a higher than average increase in traffic volume.  This situation can be explained in part by the population growth of the Outaouais region.  This local growth could rise to 19.3 % between 2001 and 2026, which far exceeds the expected provincial average of 9.3%.  The annual average of daily vehicle volume is 3,000 and this number will continue to rise over the next few years.

Completing Highway 5 in the Outaouais region is therefore a priority for the Government of Canada, Quebec and Outaouais residents.  Once completed, this highway will help to significantly reduce traffic on Highway 105, increase road safety, and contribute to the economic growth and tourism development of the region.

The project consists of building a four-lane divided highway extending Highway 5 over a distance of 9.0 km in a rural area, from Chemin de la Rivière to the existing part of the highway in Wakefield.  An initial 2.5 km stretch is currently under construction in the municipality of Chelsea.  This stretch includes two overpasses in the Tulip Valley area, two arch culverts at Chemin Pine, and a connection to Highway 105.

Today's announcement concerns the construction of a 6.5 km section of Highway 5 in the municipalities of Chelsea and La Pêche, between the first segment, which is currently under construction, and the completed section of Highway 5 in Wakefield.  The work involves the construction of a four-lane divided highway and includes two interchanges, bridges over water courses and arch culverts to enable local traffic to safely cross the highway.  The total cost of this section is estimated at $115 million.