As reported in the Ottawa Business Journal, with work on Confederation LRT Line coming down to the wire, major arteries such as Elgin Street currently in the midst of being torn up and other projects such as construction of the combined sewage storage tunnel in full swing, Steven MacKinnon pretty much summed up the state of Ottawa in one sentence at the recent City-Building Summit.

“It really is the golden age for infrastructure investment in this city,” the Liberal MP for Gatineau told the audience at Lansdowne Park’s Horticulture Building, no doubt prompting nods from many in the crowd of business leaders and politicians.

Steve Goodman certainly doesn’t need any convincing.

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The president of the National Capital Heavy Construction Association says his industry, which employs more than 9,000 people in the region, is booming. And with the City of Ottawa preparing to draft a new master plan for its roads, rail lines and other key infrastructure – not to mention projects such as phase two of light rail and the eventual redevelopment of LeBreton Flats waiting in the wings – it’s a trend he expects to continue.

“Certainly, there’s going to be a lot of spinoff from LRT on the development side,” said Goodman, an engineer with GEMTEC Consulting. “People want to live and work near light rail, so there’s going to be infill and things like that.”

Noting last winter was “not kind” to Ottawa’s roadways, he says the city is going to have to invest significantly in repairing potholes at some point ​– even though it remains far behind schedule on other key projects such as widening the Airport Parkway to four lanes.

That all adds up to one thing, he says: more work for the 230-plus companies that are members of his organization.

Keep reading in the Ottawa Business Journal