Federal government announces funding for twinning of Highway 103

The federal government announced nearly $66 million in funding for a project to twin 22.6 kilometres of Highway 103 in Nova Scotia on Tuesday.

The province will kick in the rest of the $140 million, totaling $74.3 million, to expand the highway between Upper Tantallon and Hubbards.

Members of various levels of government were on hand for the announcement as the President of Canada’s Treasury Board and Liberal MP for Kings-Hants Scott Brison shared the news.

“These investments are building more livable communities, safer and more efficient transportation and creating good middle class jobs across Canada,” Brison said.

The highway twinning will be done in two phases.

The first part slated to be twinned is 10.8 kilometres of road between Upper Tantallon and Ingramport, including the construction of new bridge structures over Mill Lake, Little Indian Lake, Ingram River and over the highway at Mill Lake.

That work is scheduled to begin in 2018 and be completed by 2020.

The second section of highway to be twinned is a 11.8 km section of highway between Ingramport and Hubbards, where there will also be seven kilometres of access to new road.

That work is scheduled to begin in 2021, and be finalized by 2023.

Nova Scotia’s Transportation Minister Lloyd Hines said this has been in the works for a few months as the McNeil Liberals had announced in April that they would reject the new highway twinning tolls.

However, he says there is no set timeline for other projects.