N.S. announces $465M for major road, highway projects as part of five-year plan

The Nova Scotia government is spending $465 million on highway and major road projects.

The Nova Scotia government says it will spend roughly $465 million on major road and highway projects and other infrastructure work as part of its Five-Year Highway Improvement Plan.

Roughly $267.5 million will be allocated in 2026-27 to support design activities, road improvements, bridge rehabilitation, land, equipment acquisition and ferry services.

The province says the five-year plan, released on Wednesday, maps out its approach to repair and maintain Nova Scotia’s 23,000 kilometres of roads and highways, and 4,100 bridges, each year until 2031.

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The plan is expected to advance more than 160 highway improvement projects over the coming year.

“Since taking office, this government has invested roughly $2.5 billion in our five-year plans,” said Public Works Minister Fred Tilley in a news release Wednesday. “Safe, dependable and affordable transportation infrastructure is essential for the future prosperity of our province.”

Construction will continue on major projects, including:

• Highway 101 Cambridge interchange and connector (Kings County)
• Highway 101 dyke and aboiteaux upgrades (Hants County)
• Highway 101 twinning from Three Miles Plains to Falmouth (Hants County)
• Highway 103 twinning from Exit 6 to Exit 8 (Lunenburg County)
• Highway 104 twinning from Taylors Road to Paqtnkek (Antigonish County)
• Highway 107 twinning from Burnside to Lake Loon (Halifax Regional Municipality)
• Seal Island Bridge rehabilitation (Victoria County)
• Trunk 4 active transportation corridor conversion (Antigonish County)
• Tancook ferry infrastructure upgrades (Lunenburg County)

However, two major construction projects did not make the list, including rehabilitation work for the two Halifax Harbour Bridges. Tilley said that project would likely be managed outside the five-year plan.

“That’s yet to be determined as we go through our budget processes, but I maybe wouldn’t expect to see it under the five-year plan for sure,” he said during a news conference.

The Chignecto Isthmus – a vulnerable section of land that connects Nova Scotia to New Brunswick and is at risk of flooding due to rising sea levels and storms – was also left off the list.

“It’s not a highway per se, so it would not fall within the five-year plan, but there is work being done there currently,” said Don Maillet, director of construction and engineering with the Department of Public Works.

Grant Feltmate, executive director of the Nova Scotia Road Builders Association, says the association is “very supportive” of the plan.

“It allows for various stakeholders, including the road-building industry, to be much more accurately informed of future projects,” said Feltmate in the news release.

“This, in turn, can lead to better tendering practices, which benefit the taxpayers of the province. The projected budget keeps a relatively stable amount of spending, which is critical for contractors to know that they will be able to maintain employment levels going forward.”

The province noted the roadbuilding industry creates more than 6,000 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs in Nova Scotia each year.

Tilley said the province’s $1.2-billion deficit won’t impact work included in the plan.

With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Jesse Thomas

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