Rumble Strips To Enhance Nova Scotia Road Safety

Motorists travelling along Highway 104 this summer will benefit from the presence of rumble strips on shoulder lanes -- another tool to make Nova Scotia roads amongst the safest in Canada.

"Improving road safety for all is one of the top priorities for government and we are investing in measures that will ensure safer driving experience on Nova Scotia roads," said Jamie Muir, acting Minister of Transportation and Public Works. "It is however, very important to remember that there is no better prevention against road injuries and deaths than an alert and defensive driver."

Shoulder rumble strips are grooved patterns milled into the pavement surface that produce sound and vibration when vehicle tires travel across them. Research indicates that these rumble strips can help reduce crashes when drivers leave the road due to driver fatigue, inattention or distraction.

The department will install rumble strips on right shoulder lanes of more than 100 kilometres of the divided sections of Highway 104 between Exit 3, Victoria Street and Exit 15 to Highway 102. The pilot project will be cost-shared between the department and the Highway 104 Western Alignment Corporation, who will contribute to the cost for the Cobequid Pass. The cost of the project is about $530,000.

This section of the highway was selected as it has a continuous paved shoulder of sufficient width to support the strips, as well as a crash history involving road departures.

Based on its performance on Nova Scotia roads, the department will continue its shoulder lane rumble strip installation program in future years.