The province has announced an additional $1.9 billion in infrastructure funding.
On Thursday, the province announced it will be doubling the budget for capital, maintenance and renewal for 2020-21 from $937 million to $1.9 billion by accelerating its capital plan.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said the strategy will allow them to act quickly so construction companies can keep their workers employed during the COVID-19 downturn.
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Kenney said some of the money will go to the maintenance budget because it can be rolled out quickly. Projects like school maintenance and filling potholes can start right away, while projects like building new roads take longer to get started.
“One of the reasons we are focusing on maintenance and renewal of our provincial assets is because we can do it really quick."
Some $410 million will go toward transportation projects.
This is on top of the $6.9 billion already in the budget for capital for this fiscal year and the $19.3 billion budget for the next three years.
Kenney said the government is investing the money now because construction season is around the corner.
“We want to do this now because construction season begins now. We don’t want to lose a day of construction season,” Kenney said.
Kenney said this is just one of the fiscal measures the government will be taking to stabilize the economy, and said some of the measures will roll out after the COVID-19 peak.
The premier estimates this measure will create several thousand jobs.
Construction has been deemed an essential service and staff will need to follow the proper public health orders.
