The twinning of Highway 101 is a project that has been in the works at Nova Scotia Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (NSTIR) for two decades.

Three portions of the twinning have been completed to date, creating a four-lane divided highway that runs from the Halifax Regional Municipality to Hortonville at Exit 10.

This portion of the project will see a 9.5 km stretch of Highway 101 twinned from Exit 5 at Garlands Cross/Trunk 14 to Exit 7 at Falmouth. There are significant challenges ahead in completing this phase, not just the karst/gypsum deposits and the Avon River Causeway, but also the impact of the project on more than two hectares of salt marsh and flood protection for neighbouring communities and farmlands. A draft Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared and NSTIR expects to register the project with Nova Scotia Environment in January 2017, with construction beginning once funding is finalized.

NSTIR is creating a Community Liaison Committee (CLC) to engage the community in the Highway 101 twinning project. The CLC will be more than a source of information on the design, construction and operation of this project. It will also ask residents and businesses for their input on the impacts of this major undertaking. This may lead to additional terms of reference to address issues raised by the community before the twinning project gets underway.

Our hope in establishing the CLC is that everyone will not only be informed about the Highway 101 twinning project but also have a voice in how the work is done.