Highway 125 Repaving in Sydney

Transportation Minister Ron Russell announced today, June 27, that Municipal Ready Mix Ltd. of Sydney is the successful bidder on a Highway 125 repaving project in Sydney.

"This is a major investment in our roads infrastructure in Cape Breton," said Mr. Russell.

The repaving work will begin this summer at the Sydney River interchange and proceed east to Grand Lake Road, including ramps. The total distance is 11.2 kilometres. It should be completed by mid-October.

"We have a $3.4-billion infrastructure problem in Nova Scotia that won't be solved overnight," said Mr. Russell. "But with our increased capital roads budget this year, we're able to complete several major projects like this one. The $10 million replacement of the Margaree Harbour bridge and the $14 million deck replacement on the Seal Island bridge are two other major capital projects under way in Cape Breton that will help support economic development and tourism."

The Department of Transportation and Public Works' 2002 capital budget for road improvements is $85.5 million, an increase of $32 million over 2001. It's the third year in a row that the capital portion of the roads budget has increased.

The department's highways division manages more than 23,000 kilometres of roads in Nova Scotia. It maintains an inventory of 3,800 bridges and operates seven provincial ferries. Four district offices are located in Bridgewater, Bedford, Truro and Sydney.