Connecting Links funding supports economic growth in Prince Edward County
PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY – As part of its plan to protect Ontario, the provincial government is investing $2,058,969 to help Prince Edward County resurface 1.1 kilometres of Bloomfield Main Street, Tyler Allsopp, MPP for Bay of Quinte announced today.
The funding is allocated under the 2025-2026 Connecting Links program, which helps maintain vital roads and bridges that connect people to good jobs, support the movement of goods, and drive economic growth in rural and northern communities.
“Our government is delivering on its promise to protect Ontario by investing in roads and bridges that people rely on every day to get to home, work and school,” said Allsopp. “We will continue to support communities like Prince Edward County in ensuring local transportation infrastructure is maintained for generations to come.”
Prince Edward County Mayor Steve Ferguson welcomed the investment.
“As we plan for the future of our municipal assets, significant investments are needed to address the improvement needs of our roads and bridges,” said Ferguson. “The Government of Ontario’s support for infrastructure renewal through the Connecting Links program and others is critical for reducing the financial impact on the property taxpayers of Prince Edward County.”
A connecting link is a designated municipal road or bridge that connects two ends of a provincial highway through a community, or to an international border crossing. This year, the Ontario government is investing $45 million in 29 projects to repair roads and bridges in 27 municipalities across the province.
“Over the next decade, our government is investing nearly $28 billion into highway infrastructure that will support our growing population and fuel our economy as we fight back against U.S. tariffs,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation. “We will continue to protect Ontario by supporting our municipal partners and delivering on our promise to make our province more competitive, more resilient, and more self-reliant.”
Eligible costs for Connecting Links include the design, construction, renewal, rehabilitation, and replacement of designated municipal roads and bridges. Municipalities are encouraged to apply for the 2026-2027 Connecting Links program funding when the intake opens later this year.”
QUICK FACTS
- The Connecting Links program provides funding for up to 90 per cent of eligible project costs. This includes a maximum of $3 million for road projects and $5 million for bridge projects.
- In Ontario, there is a total of 352 kilometres of connecting links, with 70 bridges in 77 municipalities.
- Recent Connecting Links projects in Bay of Quinte include improvements to the Picton Town Hill in Prince Edward County ($266,848 in 2021-2022) and the rehabilitation of the Sagonaska Bridge in Belleville ($3 million in 2019).