Province Releases 2020-21 Five Year Highway Plan

**** TRANSPORTATION /INFRASTRUCTURE RENEWAL Release

Province Releases 2020-21 Five Year Highway Plan
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Nova Scotia will invest at least $300 million to improve and upgrade roads, highways and bridges across the province.
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The Five Year Highway Plan includes more than 150 major construction and improvement projects for the coming year that will make roads, highways and bridges safer.

“Transportation is critical to ensure our economy and to the safety of the people who use our roads and highways,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Lloyd Hines. “It’s part of our commitment to ensure safe and connected communities.”

Twelve major construction projects are planned for the focus on twinning portions of Highways 101, 103, 104 and the Sackville-Bedford-Burnside Connector on Highway 107.

The department will continue to spend on safety improvements for highways not being twinned. That work involves improving intersections, adding passing lanes, climbing lanes and turning lanes, interchanges, as well as roundabouts.

The plan outlines new projects such as:
— construction of the Bridgewater Interchange in Lunenburg County
— construction of a new roundabout at the intersection of Highway 105 and Route 252 in Inverness County
— design work for Trunk 30 from MacLellans Cross Road to the Victoria/Inverness County line

Investment in in the Gravel Road Program to rebuild existing gravel roads in rural Nova Scotia, improving safety and reducing maintenance costs continues to be a priority.

Funding for the plan is subject to approval in the 2020-21 budget.

The plan can be found at: https://novascotia.ca/tran/highways/fiveyearplan.asp

Quick Facts:
— the plan maps out government’s approach, year by year, to repair and maintain the province’s 23,000 kilometres of roads and highways and 4,100 bridges
— at least $300 million will be invested in major construction, road improvement and bridge work for 2020-21
— 332 kilometres of asphalt pavement will be laid on 73 roads and 100 series highways across the province in next fiscal year
— 46 gravel road projects are planned for next year
— 12 bridges are scheduled for replacement or rehabilitation in 2020-21
— the road building industry creates more than 5,000 direct and 2,500 direct jobs each year in the province