Nova Scotia outlines “busy” construction season ahead
January 28, 2014
By
Canadian Consulting Engineer
Nova Scotia's Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Geoff MacLellan presented the 2014-15 edition of the province's 5-Year Highway Improvement Plan during the January 22 Nova Scotia Road Builders annual convention in Halifax.
Nova Scotia’s Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Geoff MacLellan presented the 2014-15 edition of the province’s 5-Year Highway Improvement Plan during the January 22 Nova Scotia Road Builders annual convention in Halifax.
An accompanying press release said that 2014-15 will be a “busy construction season with more than 120 highway and bridge projects planned for this year.” The total capital plan amounts to $235 million.
Of this amount $70 million is for new highways and bridges, and $35.5 million is for bridge repairs and replacements. The rest is for resurfacing projects ($114 million), land purchases and equipment.
The province has designated $1.7 million for highway designs, surveys and studies. Skit Ferguson, executive director of Consulting Engineers of Nova Scotia, says that the province contracts out a large percentage of its highway design to consulting engineering companies.
For the future, the province is continuing discussions with the federal government to extend twinning on Highway 103 and to complete Highway 101.
Its other priorities include:
–- improving access between Bedford and Burnside Industrial Park with the construction of the Burnside Connector
–- twinning highway 104 in Antigonish to make the Trans-Canada Highway safer, less congested and quicker
–- improving the Cabot Trail and Trunk 4 in Cape Breton
–- building a new highway 103 near Port Mouton, Queens Co.
–- building an interchange at Exit 5 and 6 on Highway 103 at Ingramport, Halifax Regional Municipality.
Click here to see the 2014-15 5-year Highway Improvement Plan is online at
http://gov.ns.ca/tran/highways/5yearplan/2014_15Content.asp
