WHEREAS the recent changes in provincial legislation now permit 9.6 foot wide logging trucks to travel on municipal roads; AND WHEREAS municipal roads and bridges are not built to accommodate logging trucks of this width, in some cases reducing bridge widths to one lane only: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the UBCM lobby the provincial government to consider grant funding to assist small municipalities with the infrastructure costs of upgrading, repairing and rebuilding these bridges.
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE While the Province does not have specific programs that fund local government bridge improvement projects, there are a number of federal provincial infrastructure programs that provide funding for local infrastructure projects. Bridge improvements are considered to be eligible projects under the Building Canada Fund - Communities Component BCF CC and the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund programs. A number of local governments have identified bridge projects as priorities and have submitted requests for funding from these programs. All the funding for the current programs has been committed and can be found at http:www2.news.gov.bc.canewsreleases2009-20132009PREM0038-000403.htm We anticipate that bridge improvement projects will continue to be considered under future federalprovincial infrastructure funding programs.