B.C.’s Transportation Minister hopes we can build our way out of the economic woes caused by COVID-19.

Claire Trevena says the government is looking forward to working on three separate Trans-Canada Highway expansion projects this year between Kamloops and the Alberta border.

Those three projects she mentioned – widening projects at the Kicking Horse Canyon near Golden, at Illecillewaet near Revelstoke and through Chase – are worth $946 billion. (All three projects, though, have been re-announced within the past 15 months with price tags between 33 and 35 per cent higher than the original costs, respectively).

Speaking on NL Newsday, Trevena was asked if concerns for the provincial budget during could delay any of those projects.

“We’re hoping that is not the case. We’re looking very much as using construction, using infrastructure as a way of building out of this. We know that is a classic way of rebuilding an economy, rebuilding communities, is by investing.”

She says unlike other jurisdictions, construction in B.C. has not stopped during this pandemic, as it’s been deemed an essential service.