Survey Work on Highway 104 Forwards Aligment Project

TRANSPORTATION/PUBLIC WORKS--Survey Work on Highway 104 Forwards Alignment Project

Property owners along the proposed route of a new Trans-Canada Highway near Antigonish will notice survey crews working in late April and early May.

Letters are being mailed to property owners from Addington Forks to Taylors Road to let them know that department staff will be using flags to mark the centerline of the proposed highway. It's an important step in the environmental impact assessment process.

"We'll proceed with preliminary work and pre-tender planning," says Ron Russell, Minister of Transportation and Public Works. "We'll also continue to seek a fair, long-term joint funding agreement with the government of Canada, which will address needs on the Nova Scotia portions of the national highway system. Let's not forget we have a $3.4-billion problem across the province."

Highway 104, as part of the national highway system, is eligible for cost-shared funding from the federal government.

Mr. Russell added that the province has shown a major commitment to highway improvements by increasing its capital budget to $85 million this year. He says Ottawa should show a similar commitment, by reinvesting a much larger share of its gasoline tax revenues back into Nova Scotia roads.

The province will soon start the environmental impact assessment required for project approvals for Highway 104 under the Canadian Environment Assessment Act and the Nova Scotia Environment Act.

The preliminary cost estimate for this 15-kilometre highway project is $70 million.