Highway Maintenance Projects Scheduled Throughout Province

Improved road surfaces, upgraded bridges, and extended pavement life resulting from four road-improvement contracts will mean better roads for motorists, and more efficient transportation of goods across the province.

The Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Public Works has awarded contracts worth $1,567,237 for concrete patching, bridge and overpass upgrading, and coating on highways throughout the province.

In Kings and Annapolis counties there will be concrete patching and coating on Highway 101, Kings County, from west of Exit 16 at Aylesford for 8.2 kilometres to west of Exit 17E near Kingston; and on Highway 101, Annapolis County, from west of Exit 17W for seven kilometres to the Route 362 overpass near Middleton. The contract was awarded to Lafarge Canada Inc. with a bid of $653,450.

In Inverness, Richmond and Antigonish counties the contract involves coating on Highway 104, Inverness County, from the Port Hastings rotary for about three kilometres; on Trunk 4, Richmond County, at the Trunk 4-Reeves Street interchange for about 0.6 kilometres; and on Highway 104, Antigonish County, from near the Pictou-Antigonish county line, east for about 5.2 kilometres. This contract was awarded to Industrial Cold Milling Limited with a bid of $430,375.

In Colchester County there will be surface preparation and coating of the following overpasses: Pleasant Valley Road northbound overpass on Highway 102 near Brookfield; Hilden northbound overpass on Highway 102; Brookside Road eastbound overpass on Highway 104 near Bible Hill; Route 311 westbound overpass on Highway 104 near Bible Hill; and Route 311 eastbound overpass on Highway 104 near Truro. The contract was awarded to Byron MacDonald Ltd. With a bid of $288,670.

Projects in Cumberland and Colchester Counties will allow surface preparation and coating of the following bridges: the Howard Bridge on Fountain Road and the Jackson Bridge on Thompson Road, both in Cumberland County; and the Riversdale Bridge on Riversdale Road and the Belmont Bridge on Onslow Mountain Road, both in Colchester County. The contract was awarded to Profile Blasting and Coatings Inc. with a bid of $194,742.

This maintenance will improve traction and protect the surface of these roads and structures. Maintenance now saves larger construction costs later on.

The Department of Transportation and Public Works' highways division manages more than 23,000 kilometres of roads in Nova Scotia. It maintains 4,100 bridges and operates seven provincial ferries. Staff provide services from district offices in Bridgewater, Bedford, Truro and Sydney.