Making Our Dollars Go Further
As referenced in the department's
original 5-Year Highway Improvement
Plan document, in order to get the best value
for our investment, we are taking a more balanced
approach. While we will still continue to address
the most severely damaged roads on a "worst first"
basis, a larger portion of the highway improvement
budget will be directed toward improving paved
roads before they become severely damaged and
require more costly repairs. Although we continue
to face significant road improvement needs, this
approach will ensure that funding is used in a more
efficient and effective way.
This more balanced approach, using the latest
treatment options and preservation techniques, will
provide a number of benefits, including
- improving more roads in more communities
- providing a hard surface for more gravel roads
- paving smarter by preventing more costly
problems before they happen
- improving more low-volume paved roads
Pavement preservation
Pavement preservation involves extending the
useful life of asphalt to improve smoothness,
reduce potholes, and decrease rutting and cracking.
This keeps the roads smoother and safer at a much
lower cost than allowing them to deteriorate to the
point of needing full reconstruction. There are
various methods of pavement preservation,
including(see right)
Surface stabilization
Local, low-volume roads

Surface stabilization involves using a variety of
treatments to improve local road conditions,
resulting in smoother, dust-free road surfaces for
drivers. Options include(see right)
The cost of roadwork has increased dramatically
during the past number of years, so this year the
Department of Transportation and Infrastructure
Renewal will use its own chip-sealing crew in a few
select locations. The department has determined
that in many rural areas of the province a lack of
competition in the paving industry has led to higher
costs. In areas where there is little competition for
paving jobs, prices have been at least 10 per cent
higher (and even as much as 50 per cent higher)
than in areas where there is more competition.
That means Nova Scotians have paid higher prices
for less work.
By doing some chip sealing itself, the department
will pay less and pave more. Road builders will still
have access to more than 95 per cent of all
roadwork. They will still be able to operate a
successful business in Nova Scotia. Next year, the
province plans to introduce its own mobile asphalt
plant, in rural areas where bids on tenders have
become increasingly high due to a lack of
competition.