Highway Infrastructure Tenders Moving Forward

The province has awarded a road-paving contract for Yarmouth County worth $1,423,300 to re-pave a section of Highway 103.

This is the 35th road construction tender issued in 2009, compared to 26 at this time last year, and 16 the year before. So far an investment of $63.4 million has been announced for road infrastructure projects, a 54 per cent increase over this same period in 2008.

"We are accelerating our tendering process so we can hit the ground running and start work as early as possible in the construction season," said Brooke Taylor, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. "We know how important these projects are both for the jobs they create and the improvements they bring to our communities."

The projects are part of the province's Building for Growth plan, an economic investment strategy to benefit local communities while generating employment and supporting the provincial economy. Work on the overall plan continues across government. Projects will continue to be released as details, including discussions with the federal government, are finalized.

The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal awarded the latest contract to Aberdeen Paving Ltd. to repave Highway 103 from the Tusket underpass east for five kilometres. The project is scheduled to be completed this summer.

"The province's 100-series highways are crucial to the movement of people and goods through Nova Scotia," said Mr. Taylor. "This section is part of the national highway system and the federal government is sharing the cost of this project with Nova Scotia."

The department's highways division manages more than 23,000 kilometres of roads in Nova Scotia. It maintains 4,100 bridges and operates seven provincial ferries. Staff provide services from district offices in Bridgewater, Bedford, Truro and Sydney.