Have an opinion on tolls for twinning? Meetings coming to a community near you

The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure wants to know how people feel about using tolls to pay to twin eight sections of major Nova Scotia highways.

The province has said it would cost more than $2 billion to build the infrastructure required in areas citizens have indicated they want twinned.

Now the department is hosting 11 consultation sessions in communities across Nova Scotia over a six-week period. 

CBCL Limited, an engineering and environmental consulting firm, was hired in 2015 to look at twinning and tolling the 100-series highways. The study, which cost about $900,000, looked at the traffic volumes along the eight sections.

The sessions will be held over a six-week period this winter: 

• Jan. 24 – New Glasgow, Pictou County Wellness Centre, 2756 Westville Rd.
• Jan. 31 – Kentville Recreation Centre, 348 Main St.
• Feb. 1 – Windsor, Hants County War Memorial Community Centre, 78 Thomas St.
• Feb. 7 – Bridgewater, Best Western, 527 Highway 10.
• Feb. 8 – Chester, Atlantica Oak Island Resort and Conference Centre, 36 Treasure Dr.
• Feb. 13 – Antigonish, Claymore Inn, 137 Church St. (Note: Due to weather, this meeting has been rescheduled to March 2)
• Feb. 16 – Halifax, Delta Halifax, 1990 Barrington St. 
• Feb. 21 – Sydney, Membertou Trade and Convention Centre, 50 Maillard St.
• Feb. 22 – River Bourgeois, Tara Lynne Community Centre, Recreation Rd.
• Feb. 23 – Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre, 606 Reeves St.
• Feb. 27 – Lake Echo Community Centre and Auditorium, 3168 Highway 7
• March 1 – Dartmouth, Best Western, 15 Spectacle Lake Dr.