Province Announces Details of $265-million Roads Investment

Better roads and bridges are en route to communities across Nova Scotia.

Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Bill Estabrooks released the province's updated Five Year Road Improvement plan today, June 6, in Antigonish. This year's $265-million road improvement budget is the third-largest in the province's history.

"This investment supports safe, efficient transportation networks, good jobs and economic growth for Nova Scotians," said Mr. Estabrooks. "This year we will improve more roads in more communities, including more low-volume paved roads. We will also provide a hard surface for more gravel roads and prevent a number of costly problems from occurring."

The province has invested almost $900 million in Nova Scotia roads over the past three years, employing thousands and contributing millions of dollars to the provincial economy.

This year's highway improvement budget will focus on paving, bridge repairs and replacements, and highway twinning. Efforts will also include improving paved roads before they become severely damaged and require expensive repairs, and stabilizing roads using techniques such as chip seal paving that provides smoother, dust-free surfaces.

"Our new approach allows us to reach more roads, including gravel roads, that we haven't been able to improve in the past," said Mr. Estabrooks.

The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal will also use its chip sealing crew in a few, select locations where a lack of competition has brought higher prices.

During the event in Antigonish, Mr. Estabrooks detailed road work specific to Antigonish, Guysborough and Pictou counties. The province will invest millions to improve road infrastructure in the eastern mainland. Some of the major projects include:

• Paving roads throughout the region, including Highway 104 (Pictou and Antigonish), Route 245, 376 and Trunk 6 in Pictou and Route 316 in Guysborough.
• Major construction projects such as Highway 104 expansion in Antigonish and Pictou counties.
• Repairing the Canal bridge, Route 337 and Lower South River Bridge in Anigonish.

A complete list of this year's projects is included in the Five-Year Highway Improvement Plan (2011-2102 edition), available at www.gov.ns.ca/tran . The plan also includes a review of the province's performance in the 2010-11 and 2009-10 roads programs as well as major projects planned 2015-16.

The five-year plan supports the goals of government's jobsHere economic development plan by creating jobs and improving the highway infrastructure relied on by Nova Scotia businesses and industries.