Cornwall bypass route to be unveiled mid summer

Landowners in and around Cornwall will have to wait weeks before they know if the proposed Cornwall highway bypass will affect them.

The P.E.I. government said it's waiting to confirm a "preferred route" for the project, so officials will know exactly which parcels of land it will have to purchase. Several routes have been proposed in the initial planning phase.

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Government officials say they should have a preferred route picked by "mid summer."

On Wednesday, the province announced it was seeking federal funding to build two roundabouts and realign six kilometres of the Trans-Canada Highway in Cornwall and Clyde River, from York Point Road to New Haven. The project would cost $65 million, and the province is asking Ottawa to pay half.

Proposed Cornwall highway project

8 years ago

Duration 0:54

Take a look at the proposed Trans-Canada Highway redirect around Cornwall

'Left in the dark'

"This is a strategic infrastructure investment that would bring the highway up to today's safety standards, improve the transport of goods, and benefit all Islanders," said Premier Wade MacLauchlan in a news release at the time.

Several landowners in the proposed construction zone told CBC they felt "left in the dark" by the P.E.I. government. They said the province had not shared the information with them before the announcement.

Bird survey

Work crews are on site in Cornwall completing a bird survey.

The goal is to determine which birds are nesting in the area, and pick a route for the highway realignment that will have the least impact on their habitats. The province says it's an essential step before moving forward with the project.

Once a preferred route is chosen, public consultations will begin. If approved, construction on the new highway realignment could begin by the fall.

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