Highway Improvement Tenders Awarded

A 10.7 kilometre section of Highway 101 in Kings County is scheduled to be repaved, one of several highway projects totalling more than $7 million that will begin shortly throughout Nova Scotia.

Dexter Construction has been awarded the $1.2 million contract to repave Highway 101 from the Cambridge Underpass to Exit 15 at Berwick. As part of the same contract, work will begin shortly in Kings County along the North River Road where close to five kilometres will be repaved. As well, one kilometre of Trunk 1 from Lockhart Mountain Road to Coldbrook Village will be resurfaced and upgrades to the intersection completed by Lafarge Canada Inc. for $457,300.

"It is important we maintain and upgrade our roads," said Gordon Balser, Minister of Transportation and Public Works. "Highway dollars are precious resources, and we have to make sure they are invested wisely. Many roads in Nova Scotia will get attention over the next few weeks as our capital program continues."

Among the group of recently awarded projects are several slated for Cape Breton County. These include 2.6 kilometres of repaving on Route 223 at Barrachois Harbour; upgrades to the intersection of Kings Road and Keltic Drive, Route 305 at Sydney River, including new traffic signals; and paving on sections of the Main-A-Dieu Road, Terra Nova Road, Kaneville Road, Gordon Whitney Drive, Catalone Gut Road, Wallace Road, and First Street and Second Street. This work is being done by Municipal Ready-Mix Ltd. for a total of $2.2 million.

In Richmond County, more than seven kilometres of the County Line Road, from Trunk 4 at Cleveland to Inverness-Richmond County Line, will be repaved by Dillman Enterprises Ltd. for $1.04 million.

In Antigonish County, Grant Bros. Contracting Ltd. will do bridge rehabilitation work on the Beaver Meadow Road Underpass on the Trans-Canada Highway 104 at James River. The contract is valued at $328,865

In Halifax County, about four kilometres of Route 277 will be repaved, from Hurshman Road easterly to Antrim Road. Dillman Enterprises Ltd. will perform this job for $663,355. As well, a contract has been awarded for intersection improvements at Route 333 at Club Road. Lafarge Canada Inc. has been awarded this job, worth $105,100.

In Cumberland County, the MacLellans Brook culvert is to be replaced by Ian Sinclair Contracting Services Ltd. for $388,000. J.G. Hartling Ltd. has been awarded a $111,645 contract for work on the Jackson Bridge, the Wallace Harbour Bridge and the Mohns overhead crossing on Trunk 4 in Colchester County.

Two sections of road in Guysborough County will be repaved, including about four kilometres along Route 344 from the Trans-Canada Highway 104 at Aulds Cove to south of the Mulgrave North town line, and about one kilometre along Trunk 16 from Hart's Store at Boylston. Ocean Paving Ltd. has been awarded this $621,186 contract.

The Department of Transportation and Public Works has awarded 36 road improvement contracts worth almost $40 million so far this year.

For a full list of road construction projects and any traffic interruptions that may be encountered, visit the website of the Department of Transportation and Public Works at www.gov.ns.ca/tran .