Nova Scotia’s first, dedicated program to address repairs and reconstruction on gravel roads will see an annual $10 million in new funding.
The Gravel Road Capital Program was introduced today, April 7.
“We have 8,400 kilometres of gravel roads in our province and we need to have the ability to repair more of those roads than we have in the past – which simply has not been enough,” said Geoff MacLellan, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal.
“Each spring we grade and fill gravel roads and rebuild those that are deemed urgent, however, there’s still a gap between what we would like to do and what we are able to do with the funding available.”
The new program is a proactive approach that will rebuild roads to improve the structure and drainage. This will result in a longer-lasting driving surface and make regular road maintenance easier.
“Well-maintained, good-quality roads are essential for rural communities,” said Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, mayor of the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg. “This investment in our gravel roads is welcomed news.”
Gravel roads will be evaluated and repairs will be prioritized based on traffic volumes and road conditions such as potholes, poor drainage, loss of gravel, soft areas and roadside vegetation.
The funding, broken down based on the number of kilometres of gravel road in each district, is:
— $2.9 million for the western district, which is Kings, Annapolis, Digby, Yarmouth, Shelburne, Queens and Lunenburg counties
— $1 million for the central district, which includes Halifax Regional Municipality and Hants County
— $2.7 million for the northern district, which is Cumberland, Colchester and Pictou counties
— $3.4 million for the eastern district which includes Guysborough, Antigonish, Richmond, Inverness and Victoria counties, and Cape Breton Regional Municipality
Source: Release
