5-Year Highway Improveme nt Plan 2012–13 Edi tion 5-Year Highway Improvement Plan 2012 –13 Edition 3 5-Year Highway Improveme nt Plan 2012–13 Edi tion Contents Why a 5-year plan? ..................................................................4 Highway construction and maintenance: a look back ........5 Highway funding in Nova Scotia in 2012 –13 ........................6 Making our dollars go further ................................................7 How are projects prioritized? .................................................9 5-year highway improvement projects ...............................11 2012 –13 ...............................................................................11 2013 –14 ...............................................................................16 2014 –15 ...............................................................................18 2015 –16 ...............................................................................20 2016 –17 ...............................................................................22 A Look Back: 2011 –12 projects ..............................................24 5-Year Highway Improvement Plan 2012 –13 Edition Why a 5-year plan? Government’s commitment to The plan also explains government’s new approach, repairing rural roads and keeping making the most of every available dollar to address communities strong led to highway construction and maintenance. In the past, Nova Scotia’s first five-year the majority of funding has gone to the most damaged roads, so the overall condition of roads paving and highway improvement deteriorated faster than they could be fixed. plan in November 2010. The province is now taking a more balanced The 2012 –13 edition is the third five-year plan. approach which uses a variety of improvement It outlines major construction projects, repaving, options, with a greater focus on improving paved major bridge replacements and maintenance, and roads before they become severely damaged and infrastructure work the province plans to pursue on require more costly repairs. Some road improvement a year-by-year basis during the next five years. This work is also being done in-house to ensure that advance planning allows the department to fix more prices are competitive in all parts of the province. roads, reach more communities and work more effectively with partners while being transparent and accountable. Building and maintaining roads The plan also enables Nova Scotians to track and infrastructure creates provincial road improvements on a yearly basis. • thousands of jobs Each year following budget approval, a detailed plan • allows local businesses to transport goods for that year’s highway construction season will be to market released, along with a report on the previous year’s projects. • connects Nova Scotians to vital services, employment, and education • leads visitors to every corner of our province 4 5-Year Highway Improvement Plan 2012 –13 Edition Highway construction and maintenance: a look back The last four provincial highway The in-house program delivered more services for budgets have been record setting— taxpayers by allowing the work to be done for less totaling more than $1 billion. money, and by affecting and reducing overall tender prices. The department has paved more than 1,900 kilometres in the last three years with another The outcome was the province saved more than 500 kilometres planned in 2012 –13. $2 million on tenders last season. Those savings meant the province could start certain capital The total highway capital budget is $281 million projects a year earlier than listed in the 5-year plan. and a further $82 million will be spent in 2012 –13 By paying less, Nova Scotia is paving more. from operational funding for highway maintenance improvements. That means $363 million will be invested in Nova Scotia roads this construction Roads in Nova Scotia season. 100 series highways These are the highest traffic volume roads in A project report on the 20 11–12 provincial highway Nova Scotia and many are part of the National capital program is on page 24. Highway System In the summer of 20 11 the provincial government Secondary highways, trunks, and routes began chip sealing with one crew, to introduce Lower traffic volumes than 100-series highways, competition to the industry, and to maximize but well used to connect local communities taxpayers dollars in terms of highway resurfacing. Provincial local roads Prior to launching the in-house program, the Local paved and gravel roads with much lower traffic volumes, sometimes less than 500 vehicles province was paying $91,000 per kilometre of per day double chip seal. In 20 11, the province paid an average of $40,000 per kilometre for tendered Municipal roads projects. Roads within municipal boundaries that fall under the responsibility of local municipalities 5-Year Highway Improvement Plan 2012 –13 Edition 5 Highway funding in Nova Scotia in 2 012–13 There are three primary sources of Each year the highway capital budget is approved funding for highway construction as part of the provincial budget. This funding is and maintenance in Nova Scotia. used for projects across the province, with more than 150 highway improvement projects slated for Provincial 2012 –13. The majority of highway funding in Nova Scotia is from provincial sources. Provincial funding includes The 2012 –13 highway capital budget is $281 all revenue from provincial gas taxes and the net million, one of the largest investments ever made revenue from the Registry of Motor Vehicles. in Nova Scotia’s road system. The following chart provides a breakdown of how Federal The federal government provides funding from a this funding is being spent. variety of federal programs, including the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, the Building Canada Capital funding summary Plan, the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund and infrastructure stimulus funding. Major construction (new highways and bridges) $110,000,000 Municipal Some funding is received from municipalities for Asphalt $106,000,000 cost-shared projects in their jurisdictions. Bridge replacement/rehabilitation $40,000,000 Capital funding breakdown Land purchase $7,500,000 Equipment, machinery and ferries $9,500,000 Provincial $240,756,633 Highway designs, survey, studies $2,000,000 Federal $32,743,367 Other provincial projects $6,000,000 Municipal $1,500,000 Total $281,000,000 6 5-Year Highway Improvement Plan 2012 –13 Edition Making our dollars go fu rther To get the best value for our Pavement preservation investment, we are taking a more Pavement preservation involves extending the balanced approach, a principle of the useful life of asphalt to improve smoothness, department’s highway improvement reduce potholes and decrease rutting and cracking. planning. This keeps the roads smoother and safer at a much lower cost than allowing them to deteriorate to the While we continue to address the most severely point of needing full reconstruction. There are damaged roads on a “worst first” basis, a larger various methods of pavement preservation, portion of the highway improvement budget is including: being directed toward improving paved roads before they become severely damaged and need more costly repairs. Although we continue to face Crack sealing: a rubberized asphalt seal significant road improvement needs, this approach compound to prevent water from weakening will ensure that funding is used in a more efficient the paved surface of the road base and effective way. Chip sealing: an asphalt mixture and stone This more balanced approach, using the latest chips applied to protect and seal pavement treatment options and preservation techniques, will exhibiting distress provide several benefits, including: Micro sealing: a thin asphalt mixture • improving more roads in more communities applied to existing pavement showing signs of premature surface distress to protect the • providing a hard surface for more gravel roads pavement and repair ruts • paving smarter by preventing more costly Single lift overlay: a single layer of asphalt problems before they happen pavement to correct minor-to-moderate surface distress in an otherwise good quality • improving more low-volume paved roads pavement 5-Year Highway Improvement Plan 2012 –13 Edition 7 Surface stabilization Local, low-volume roads Surface stabilization options Surface stabilization involves using a variety of Black gravel: a mixture of recycled asphalt treatments to improve local road conditions, and gravel that provides additional resulting in smoother, dust-free road surfaces strength, improves driving surface and for drivers. emits very little dust Double chip seal paving on gravel: Mobile Asphalt Plant aggregate mixed with tar applied directly to Government has committed to increase resurfacing gravel that provides a smoother surface, of secondary (non-100 series) roads by 50 per cent. reduced potholes and a dust-free surface To help achieve that goal the Department of Double chip seal paving on recycled Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal will set asphalt: pulverizing existing severely up a mobile asphalt plant this summer within the deteriorated pavement followed by chip existing budget. seal over gravel that strengthens and There will be savings for taxpayers, as this publicly- smooths the surface, reduces potholes and owned venture will ensure competitive prices and provides a dust-free surface allow the province to pave more roads in all areas. Asphalt concrete paving: applying a single