Investing in Roads, Building a Brighter Future

The Nova Scotia government is continuing to spend more on highways, roads and bridges.

Premier John Hamm announced today, July 12, that the province is investing $1 million to pave a number of gravel roads across the province. The funding for this project will come from the Aid to Municipalities program.

"Nearly three years ago, our government told Nova Scotians we would make highways, roads and bridges a priority, and we're delivering on that commitment," said the premier.

"After years of neglect, rebuilding our transportation network will take time. However, Nova Scotians can rest assured government will increase spending on our province's highways, roads and bridges each and every year," said Premier Hamm.

The roads were chosen from priority lists submitted by municipalities.

In a speech to the Cheticamp Development Commission today, Premier Hamm challenged the federal government to match Nova Scotia's commitment to the province's highways and bridges.

Three multi-million-dollar highway projects announced earlier this spring are being funded entirely by the provincial government. Less than five cents out of every federal gas tax dollar collected in Nova Scotia is spent on the province's highways.

Later today, Premier Hamm and Rodney MacDonald, Minister of Tourism and Culture, will visit the site of the new Margaree Harbour Bridge, another infrastructure project announced by the provincial government in April.

Work on the two-year, $10-million project is scheduled to be finished by December 2003.

Since 1999-2000, the Department of Transportation and Public Works' capital works budget for highways and bridges has nearly tripled to $85 million.