Snowstorm on February 2 with significant snowfall and wet conditions. Photo Ed Halverson

Snowstorms won’t keep help from arriving at your door.

Area manager with Nova Scotia department of transportation and infrastructure renewal Glen Strang says their workers are tied into the province’s 9-1-1 system.

“When people have an emergency, they really should be calling 9-1-1 and then we would be dealing with the emergency service provider and typically, we would dispatch the nearest plow to assist whether it’s an ambulance or the police or fire, whatever,” said Strang.

Following snowstorms like the one experienced across the province on Tuesday, people often wonder why it takes so long for snowplows to clear their road.

The Region of Queens removes snow within the town of Liverpool while Strang oversees a team of 20 people who are responsible for plowing all municipal roads between Halifax and Shelburne.

The province has established four levels of service standards that determine which roads will get more frequent or faster attention than others during a storm.

“Our top priority would be 100-series and trunk and route highways,” said Strang. “Those roads have the most traffic volumes on them. Our second priority would be secondary trunks and routes and what we would call medium-volume traffic roads. Then third priority would be local paved roads, paved subdivisions, residential streets, that sort of thing. And the fourth priority is non-paved roads, which could be gravel. It could be chip-sealed roads, sand-sealed roads.”

Those priority levels also have corresponding timelines to get the roads cleared. Once a storm has ended, the top priority 100-series and trunk highways need to be plowed clean within eight hours. Second tier roads must be cleared within 12 hours and crews have 24 hours after the snow stops to clear level three and four roads.

Strang says his crews are out during storms plowing the roads and often see people taking unnecessary risks.

“A lot of people will pass our plows. We don’t encourage that. The conditions in front of the plow could be much different than the condition behind the plow. Just be safe,” said Strang.

He says the best plan is to stay off the roads during a storm but anyone who has to go out should take some basic precautions.

“Just be aware of the driving conditions and drive appropriately,” said Strang. “Hopefully their car is in good working condition and they have good tires. Slow down, you know, the common sense stuff you always hear. Leave more room between you and the vehicle in front of you.”

Strang points out, it also makes the plow driver’s job easier when people don’t park cars on the street.

Anyone with concerns about snow clearing levels can reach the department of transportation and infrastructure renewal by calling their toll free number 1-844-696-7737.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

Photo Ed Halverson

The province has unveiled its five-year highway construction plan.

More than 150 projects will be undertaken over the next year at a price tag of almost $500 million dollars.

Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal minister Lloyd Hines says the focus will be on completing the twinning projects already underway on the 100-series highways.

“Twinned highways save lives. We know that. We have statistical information to illustrate that,” said Hines.

Chief Engineer at TIR Peter Hackett says the study and public consultation done by the department in 2016 identified the section of Highway 103 between Tantallon and Bridgewater for twinning.

The new plan will continue to twin Highway 103 from Halifax as far as Hubbards but will not extend further into the south shore in the near future.

“It’s on the radar from the department but it’s not currently on radar for funding at the present time,” said Hackett. “So somewhere down the road that will be looked at again as well as the other sections that we had identified in that program.”

Hackett says TIR is exploring alternatives to make those sections of Highway 103 not scheduled for twinning, safer in the short term.

“We are looking at other options such as more climbing lanes or as we have down in the Annapolis Valley, what they call two plus one lanes which are just extra lanes on a flat surface as opposed to a hill surface,” said Hackett.

He says an example of those safety improvements is the addition of climbing, or passing lanes being added between Exits 9 and 10.

The MLA for Queens-Shelburne Kim Masland is left with more questions than answers following today’s announcement.

“What’s the commitment to twinning the rest of the highway?” asked Masland. “What is the plan of the minister? What is the plan of the department? That needs to be communicated to Nova Scotians so they know what to expect. That’s what this five-year highway plan is all about. It’s supposed to be taking the politics out of pavement. It’s supposed to be making sure people know what projects are coming forward.”

Projects are prioritized based on a number of factors.

TIR has a process in place where each of the 51 MLAs meet with department officials to make their case for road improvements in their ridings.

The officials then measure those requests against priorities for highways construction, paving, or other infrastructure needs such as bridges, overpasses and roundabouts.

The need and technical requirements help to dictate how soon a project will be completed.

Queens won’t see any major infrastructure as part of the new plan. But in 2021 residents can expect to see fresh asphalt on a three and a half kilometer stretch on Trunk 3 from the Liverpool Town line south towards White Point, almost four kilometers of the Medway River Road from Bangs Falls to the end and on Beech Hill Road from Trunk 3 to the end.

Masland says those few projects don’t measure up to the support neighbouring constituencies are receiving.

“If you compare Lunenburg County to Queens County, it’s glaring and that’s very disappointing to see that we’re not getting our fair share,” said Masland.

In the next year alone, Lunenburg County will see two major projections along Highway 103: the passing lanes between exits 9 and 10 and the construction of a third interchange in Bridgewater between exits 12 and 13. Lunenburg will also see over 30 kilometers of new asphalt while TIR will be laying down less than 12 in Queens.

Hines says all 51 MLAs were consulted prior to the development of the five-year plan.

The minister says whether it’s transporting goods for business or driving to visit relatives, keeping up highways is essential to Nova Scotians.

“Roads is [sic] a critical investment in both the social and safety and economic well-being of the province. Roads are extremely important to those three considerations.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

Temporary arrows have been in place since the fall at Exit 22A along Highway 103. Photo Kim Masland

Travellers to Queens will have an easier time getting to some of the area’s beaches and attractions.

The intersection of Highway 103 and Exit 22A will have new directional arrows painted this week.

The turnoff leads to popular locations like White Point, the Quarterdeck and Summerville beach.

Queens-Shelburne MLA Kim Masland said that stretch of Highway 103 has become particularly dangerous since it underwent repairs this summer.

After the micro-sealing took place Masland said the directional arrows were not properly repainted over the multi-lane intersection to indicate to drivers whether or not they could turn.

And the temporary arrows painted on with a spray can are insufficient.

“They look like they were drawn on by my grandson,” said Masland. “It’s absolutely pathetic.”

Temporary arrows at Exit 22A along Highway 103. Photo Kim Masland

Masland has heard from constituents for months how difficult it is to see the arrows and how dangerous that stretch of road can be especially at night or in bad weather.

She followed up on one call and was concerned with what she found.

“I actually got in my car myself that night and drove up to the intersection,” said Masland. “It was pouring rain and it was dark. I’m familiar with that section of the road and I really didn’t know where I was supposed to be because there were no arrows to indicate where I was supposed to be in the road.”

Masland has been in repeated contact with the Nova Scotia department of transportation and infrastructure renewal since October about getting appropriate arrows in place.

She was pleased when she received a call indicating the painting will get underway this week.

A spokesperson from TIR confirmed crews will be out to perform the work as soon as the weather allows.

The department is also set to get to work on a much bigger project in Queens.

Signs are going up this week to detour cars around the Mill Village Bridge.

The condition of the bridge surface is another concern Masland has been hearing about from residents for years.

Mill Village Bridge in need of resurfacing. Photo Kim Masland

While Masland said she has been assured the bridge is completely safe, and has no reason to doubt those assurances, many residents don’t feel safe when they are crossing.

“I had one lady tell me that she travels across that bridge everyday and she literally just holds her wheel and closes her eyes as she goes across. Because, the appearance of it, it does look unsafe, but I have been assured that it is not [unsafe],” said Masland.

The bridge will be resurfaced beginning late this week or early next, again, depending on the weather.

That work is expected to take several months to complete.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.