Municipalities Benefit from Subdivision Paving

TRANSPORTATION/PUBLIC WORKS--Municipalities Benefit from Subdivision Paving

Rural and regional municipalities across Nova Scotia have been invited to apply for cost-shared provincial funding to help pave subdivision streets.

"Our increased capital budget for highways this year will provide $1 million for subdivision paving, to be matched by municipalities on a 50-50 basis," said Ron Russell, Minister of Transportation and Public Works. "We've sent letters to rural and regional municipal councils asking them to submit their priority paving projects that they would like to complete by the end of October."

If municipalities participate fully in this year's Aid to Municipalities program, it could result in about 12 to 15 kilometres of new paving in residential areas.

"This provincial capital funding will see new pavement put in front of many homes across Nova Scotia," said Mr. Russell. "We're pleased to be able to contribute to these important local development projects."

On average, it costs about $140,000 to pave one kilometre of gravel road.

Municipalities have been asked to submit their priority lists by May 15. Funding is available for projects in this fiscal year only.

The Department of Transportation and Public Works' Highways Division manages more than 23,000 kilometres of roads in Nova Scotia, maintains an inventory of 3,800 bridges and operates seven provincial ferries. Its four district offices are located in Bridgewater, Bedford, Truro and Sydney.

This year, $85.5 million in capital funding will be spent on our network of roads, bridges and ferries, an increase of $32 million over last year.