Province selects winning bidder in twinning project

HALIFAX, N.S. — A consortium with a strong Nova Scotia presence has been selected to design, build, finance, operate and maintain a deadly section of Highway 104, which will be twinned between Sutherlands River and Antigonish. Dexter Nova Alliance was one of three proponents shortlisted to bid on the project. The company submitted the highest scoring proposal, based on technical approach, financing and overall cost, the province said in a release. As the preferred proponent, the province will negotiate terms of a final agreement, including costs, before the end of March. “The successful proponent is highly qualified with a long history of building high-quality roads in Nova Scotia,” said Lloyd Hines, minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. “The selection of a preferred proponent represents another significant step toward making the highway between Sutherlands River and Antigonish safer for motorists.” The project agreement with Dexter Nova Alliance is expected to be finalized in April. Once the contract is formally awarded, project cost information will be made public. Construction will start this spring and be completed no later than the end of 2023. The province also approved an early works agreement that will allow for design and permitting work to proceed immediately so that construction can start this spring.

QUICK FACTS

The project involves ▪ building just west of Exit 31 in Antigonish. The completed project will provide a continuous twinned Highway 104 from the New Brunswick border to east of Antigonish at Taylors Road, near South River. The existing highway ▪ will be twinned except for an about 10 kilometres section of new four-lane highway that will go south of the existing highway near Barneys River Station to west of James River near Pushie Road. Since 2009, there have ▪ been 320 collisions, including 18 fatalities in 13 fatal collisions on the untwinned portion of Highway 104 from Exit 27 Sutherlands River to Antigonish. The public-private-partnership ▪ approach will result in new twinned portions of the highway being opened much earlier than a traditional build model. This approach will be done without tolls or staff reductions. The project also includes ▪ the proponent taking over ongoing operating and maintenance responsibilities for the twinned portion of the highway and another 25 kilometres of existing highway. That includes snow removal, pothole repair and any repaving that may be required over the 20-year agreement.