Feds, province commit to funding new exit for Highway 102

Commuters on Highway 102 in East Hants will soon have one more exit they can take to get to their destination.

Representatives from federal, provincial and municipal levels of government announced a new interchange and connector road that will be built near the community of Lantz.

The $28-million joint federalprovincial project will include a one kilometre-long controlled access connector road linking Highway 102 to Trunk 2, four ramps forming a diamond interchange, a roundabout at each intersection of the on and off ramps, and wider lanes in both directions along Highway 102.

A press release said the new infrastructure will improve traffic circulation, increase safety and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing congestion.

Kings-Hants MP Scott Brison and Hants East MLA Margaret Miller made the announcement in Elmsdale on Monday.

The cost of the project will be split between the federal and provincial governments with the federal government picking up $14 million, or 50 per cent of the cost.

“Public infrastructure connects people, supports job creation, and boosts economic development,” Brison said in a press release. “The Government of Canada is working in close partnership with the Province of Nova Scotia to ensure we make smart investments that help grow the middle class, promote sustainable development and increase public safety.”

Brian Taylor, a media relations advisor with the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, said in an email that clearing for the interchange will begin in early 2019, with construction commencing later that year.

Taylor said the paving portion of the project is expected to be finished by late 2020.

“Our community has been campaigning for a new interchange for many years and I’m very pleased to see this important project moving forward,” Miller said in a press release. “This project will help families, residents and visitors reach their destinations more safely and efficiently, while enabling our economy to remain competitive well into the future.”

The precise location of the new interchange will be determined after a traffic study is conducted in late March.

The project is part of the federal government’s multi-billion-dollar infrastructure plan, which will inject funds into infrastructure across the country for the next 12 years.