Province readies submission on Highway 101 causeway replacement

Nova Scotia Public Works Minister Kim Masland says officials in her department are almost ready to submit work required by the federal government before a major construction project along Highway 101 can be completed.

The 9.5-kilometre twinning project between Three Mile Plains and Falmouth has faced repeated delays because of a back and forth between the federal and provincial governments about how to allow for fish passage through a new road structure that will cross the Avon River near Windsor, replacing the existing causeway and aboiteau, gates that can open and close to allow for water to pass through.

"We're ready to hit the ground and ready to complete this project, but we just need to get it passed that last step with approval from the federal regulator," Masland said in an interview Monday, following a different highway construction announcement in the Annapolis Valley.

The most recent delay followed a request last October by officials with Fisheries and Oceans Canada for more technical information from the province to understand how the proposed structure would affect fish passage, along with contingency plans to ensure the work complies with the Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act.

Masland said that work is nearing completion.

"We expect to have that back to the federal government very soon for the regulator to take a look," she said.

When the work arrives in Ottawa, the MP for Kings-Hants says he will lean on his government to evaluate the submission as quickly as possible.

During an interview Monday, Kody Blois noted that the delays have been a source of frustration and concern for many of his constituents.

While Ottawa has awaited a proposal it can sign off on that ensures sufficient fish passage, a ministerial order has required the provincial Agriculture Department to fully open the aboiteau gates during outgoing and incoming tides to allow a minimum of 10 minutes of salt water from the Bay of Fundy to enter the lake upstream of the gates.

The order has resulted in much of the water draining from Lake Pisiquid next to Windsor. The lake was created when the current causeway and aboiteau were installed about 50 years ago. Before the ministerial order, the lake was a site for recreation and a freshwater source for local farmers, the fire department and a nearby ski hill.

That decision has divided some community members who are concerned about the loss of the lake, the dusty conditions that have resulted and impacts on businesses, and others who say full fish passage must take precedence.

While people on both sides of that issue await a decision from Ottawa, Blois said he remains concerned about driver safety along the stretch of highway next to Windsor.

Until it can complete the work to cross the Avon River and open the final section of twinned road, the province has installed a cement barrier between the two lanes of traffic between Exit 6 and Exit 7. Even with that precaution, Blois said it can be a challenging area for drivers to navigate.

"Anyone that drives this highway knows that it's relatively unsafe in terms of the amount of s-turns that you have to go through and the twinning project is extremely important to get done."

When it was announced, the twinning project was expected to cost $151.6 million and be complete in 2023. Public Works officials said in December that they're now anticipating completion during the 2025-26 construction season.

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