Unlike many other provinces, the Province of Nova Scotia is responsible for maintaining the majority of all public roads in the province (90 per cent)--23,000 kilometres. The cost per kilometre is over $300,000 to repave, $500,000 to $750,000 or more to upgrade a trunk highway, and $3 million to twin a highway. While severely damaged roads will continue to be addressed, a portion of our highway improvement budget will be set aside to help improve paved roads before they become too damaged and need more costly repairs. The approach is ensuring that funding is used more efficiently and effectively. It is more sustainable in the long term.

Pavement Preservation is cost effective. Spending one dollar on pavement preservation before a paved road is 15 years old can eliminate or delay having to spend 6 to 14 dollars on rehabilitation or reconstruction when the pavement surface has failed.

Preservation techniques can extend the life of asphalt, improve smoothness, reduce potholes and decrease rutting and cracking. Roads stay smoother and safer at a much lower cost than by allowing them to deteriorate to the point of needing full reconstruction.