****TRANSPORTATION /INFRASTRUCTURE RENEWAL Release
Highway 103 Twinning Project Reaches Milestone
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Motorists can expect safer and more efficient travel with a newly twinned section of Highway 103 from Tantallon to Ingramport officially opening today, Dec. 16.
“This is a significant milestone for government as this is the first twinned section of highway to open as part of our 2017 investment in road safety,” said Lloyd Hines, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. “This section of twinned highway will keep the motoring public safe and improve capacity for goods travelling to and from communities along the south shore.”
The last of the project work for the 11-kilometre section between Tantallon and Ingramport was completed Tuesday, Dec. 15. That work included installing guard rails, rumble strips and line painting.
“Better roads and transit routes allow Canadian families to travel safely to and from school and work,” said Catherine McKenna, federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “Now that Nova Scotia Highway 103, one of the province’s major arterial highways, has been twinned from Tantallon to Ingramport, travellers will be able to move more safely and efficiently, and communities are better connected. Canada’s infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country and builds cleaner, more inclusive communities.”
In 2017, government invested $390 million in capital funding over seven years to improve highways. Four projects were announced, including twinning a 22-kilometre section of Highway 103, from Tantallon to Hubbards.
The $121 million project was split into two sections. With the first 11-kilometre section now complete, the second section will see twinning from Ingramport to Hubbards. Construction is underway and is anticipated to be completed by fall 2022.
The federal government is contributing $65 million toward these two Highway 103 twinning projects under the New Build Canada Fund.
Quotes:
“A lot of people I know will breathe easier knowing this highway is open,” says Bruce Hetherington. “Maybe if my son’s death has others live their lives happier and saves lives on that road something good can come of this.”
– Bruce Hetherington, highway twinning advocate
Quick Facts:
— based on the Highway 103 Operational and Safety Review, dated March 2015, there is a strong correlation between high traffic volumes and higher numbers of fatal collisions
— traffic volumes have been increasing steadily on this section over the past several years and currently represent the highest volumes for a two-lane section of Highway 103
— twinning is an appropriate measure for increasing capacity, greatly reducing head-on collisions and driver frustration
— in addition to Highway 103, three other projects were announced in 2017: Highway 101, Three Mile Plains to Falmouth, including the Windsor Causeway, 9.5 kilometres; Highway 104, Sutherlands River to Antigonish, including Barneys River, 38 kilometres; construction of the four-lane, divided Burnside Connector (Highway 107) between Burnside and Bedford, 8.7 kilometres
Additional Resources:
Nova Scotia Highway Construction Projects: http://novascotia.ca/tran/highways/highway104-twinning.asp
Nova Scotia’s Five-Year Highway Improvement Plan:
http://novascotia.ca/tran/highways/5yearplan/highways-5-year-plan-2020-21
