Hammonds Plains Road in Nova Scotia can be a traffic nightmare at times, but a new connector project is hoped to ease some of that burden. “Anybody that’s driven on Hammond Plains Road knows it’s a very, very busy road. So, giving another exit to the 101 from that area is positive,” says Public Works Minister Fred Tilley. That exit will be a five-kilometre-long connector highway that will allow some traffic to be steered away from Highway 102, which is expected to save significant commuting time. “Anytime we can add four-lane highways to our network, it improves safety, it improves efficiency, and effectiveness to move people and goods,” Tilley says. It will also provide an alternate escape route for residents, something that became a safety issue during the wildfires of 2023. “Evacuation is one critical approach that we have seen during the wildfire and there are issues of multiple neighborhoods having only one access road so it will open up for multiple communities which are thriving and growing,” says Ashan Habib, a transportation professor at Dalhousie University. “We are building network one after another, but we need to make sure that all the network is, at the end, integrated and connected.” The province says the connector is needed because of the recent population growth in the area and the projected growth in the coming years. “I think it will be connecting one of the highest growing neighbourhoods or subdivisions we have seen, Bedford West, in particular, connecting it to another highway,” Habib says. Tilley says there has been some concern voiced by residents of a nearby trailer park, but he confirms the new highway will be routed around the homes. Sending out a request for proposals for the environmental assessment is the first step in this project. Interested firms have until April 10 to submit their proposals. Tilley says there is no timeline or budget set, but he says he’d like to see this connector built as soon as possible. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
