Nova Scotia Leads Way in Night Paving

TRANSPORTATION/PUBLIC WORKS -Nova Scotia Leads Way in Night Paving

In the specialized world of night paving, Nova Scotia's Gerard Kennedy is a star.

He's been asked by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration to give talks all over the United States.

And, this week, the engineer with Nova Scotia's Department of Transportation and Public Works will make a presentation on paving roads in the dark of night to a national asphalt conference right here at home.

"Working at night is an effective way to keep traffic flowing during the daytime," said Mr. Kennedy. "When a project must be carried out at night it is important to have standards so that the work is carried out safely."

Mr. Kennedy developed the rules around night paving for a paving job on Highway 125, near Sydney. Given the high traffic volumes on Highway 125, he needed to develop a way to pave effectively at night while maintaining safety for workers and drivers. His specifications worked and night paving has been used successfully since then on other jobs in Nova Scotia.

"Night paving is not suitable for all locations; it costs more and presents new safety challenges," said Mr. Kennedy. "But we've shown that it can be done in certain locations, and it can be done effectively."

Mr. Kennedy is one of about 24 speakers and presenters from around the world gathered in Halifax for a conference hosted by the Canadian Technical Asphalt Association. Presenters are discussing topics such as recycling asphalt and high-performance asphalt.

In Canada, more than $1 billion dollars a year is spent on asphalt paving. In the United States, that amount is more than $10 billion.

Roadbuilding companies in Nova Scotia export their expertise in this field around the world. Dexter Construction Ltd., for instance, completed a night-paving contract last winter at the Bermuda International Airport.

"The paving project created many challenges for our company, including everything from shipping equipment and aggregates from Nova Scotia to the requirements of nighttime paving," said Andy Weaver, quality manager with Dexter Construction Ltd. "Bermuda International Airport is a single runway airport which meant access for construction was limited to nighttime hours. This was a particular situation where proper nighttime paving techniques and experience were a must to ensure safety, quality and efficiency."

The conference has attracted almost 300 delegates from around the world to Halifax. It continues until Wednesday, Nov. 19.