More than $40 million will be spent in the territory this year on improving water and roads.

The money and projects have been previously announced as part of the Building Canada fund that's been accelerated.

However, the federal Minister of State for Transport, Rob Merrifield , and territorial Community Services Minister Archie Lang held a news conference late this morning to go over the spending plan for the year.

"It's very important these funds are there,” Merrifield said, after noting that this week marks Canada's Water Week with next Tuesday, not only marking the tabling of the federal budget, but also World Water Day.

"As our government continues down the road to economic stability, we are pleased to carry on with strategic investments in Canada's North,” the federal minister said in a statement.

"These new initiatives will contribute to ensuring Yukon's sustained growth and economic prosperity, which is a key element in our government's Northern Strategy.”

Under an agreement between the two levels of government, the territory will pay for 25 per cent of the total cost of the projects.

And as Lang pointed out, that will mean jobs and contracts for Yukon workers and contractors as well as safe drinking water, roads and bridges.

The projects slated for work under the initiative this year include:

• repairing road surfacing and improving drainage to the Burwash Road;

• engineering design and construction to expand heat from the Burwash well to public buildings in the second phase of a project;

• designing and building a water treatment plant to house new equipment in the second phase of the Carcross water system treatment upgrade;

• engineering design and construction of the second phase of the district heating system in Dawson City;

• assessment, design and construction to rehabilitate and upgrade the sanitary collection system in Destruction Bay;

• design and construction of new water distribution mains, new fire hydrants for underserved areas and upgrades to Pumphouse #1 in Haines Junction;

• design and construction to upgrade and increase the capacity of the required new well and associated infrastructure in Mayo;

• upgrading the water and wastewater services and local roads in Mayo;

• upgrading Old Crow's drinking water systems;

• rebuilding the drainage ditching system, grubbing and clearing to right-of-way limits, community streets and road reconstruction followed by surfacing in Ross River;

• engineering design and construction of a new public works building for a water treatment plant and public works vehicles and equipment in Ross River;

• assessment, design, engineering and construction to rehabilitate and replace waste water infrastructure in Teslin;

• engineering design and renovating the water supply pumphouse and fill point in Tagish;

• design, tender and reconstruction of the wide medians on Two Mile Hill and Hamilton Boulevard to provide slotted left turn lanes for north and southbound traffic in Whitehorse;

• asphalt overlay on roads in Whitehorse;

• reconstruction of part of the Atlin Road, including earthwork, drainage improvements, base course construction, guide rail placement and surfacing;

• replacing and widening the Flat Creek Bridge along with reinforcing the supports, adjusting the bearings and installing rails and road approach work; and

• resurfacing the Campbell Highway in sections from kilometre 110 to 120.