Ontario Government Transportation Ministry has opened applications for the next round of the Connecting Links programme.

The round for new projects is set to commence in mid-2020.

The programme is designed to help the province’s municipalities repair roads and bridges. Connecting links are roads or bridges that connect two ends of a provincial highway that passes through a community or border crossing.

Ontario Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney said: “We will continue to invest in municipal roads and bridges to keep families safe and support jobs and growth in local communities.

“These municipal roads and bridges are vital links that help connect people to jobs and make Ontario a more attractive place to invest and start or expand a business.”

This year, the province provided $30m, covering up to 90% of eligible Connecting Links projects across Ontario.

The funding will be used for the design, construction, renewal, rehabilitation and replacement of municipal roads and bridges.

There are currently 77 eligible Ontario municipalities, which have 352km of connecting links and 70 bridges in total.

These municipalities can apply for provincial funding through the programme for 2020-21. Applications can be submitted online by 22 November.

In August this year, the Canadian Government granted funding for three infrastructure projects to improve roads and bridges in the Casey, Evanturel and Kerns townships of north-eastern Ontario.