Government's commitment to repairing rural roads and keeping communities strong led to Nova Scotia's first five-year paving and highway improvement plan in November 2010. Advanced planning has allowed the department to fix more roads, reach more communities and work more effectively with partners while being transparent and accountable.

The 2013-14 edition is our fourth plan. It outlines major highway construction projects, repaving, major bridge replacements and maintenance, and infrastructure work the province plans to pursue year by year over the next five years.

The plan explains how government makes the most of every available dollar to address highway construction and maintenance. In the past, the majority of funding has gone to the most damaged roads, so the overall condition of roads deteriorated faster than they could be fixed.

Now a more balanced approach uses many options, with a greater focus on improving paved roads before they become badly damaged and need more costly repairs. Some road improvement work is also being done in-house to help ensure prices are competitive in all parts of the province over the long term.