Route 8 to receive repairs

Queens Co. is getting a piece of Nova Scotia’s $92 million in infrastructure improvements announced on Oct. 19.

Part of the funding is going towards roadwork, and in Queens Co it encompasses 8km of Route 8 just south of Caledonia.

Premier Darrell Dexter, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Bill Estabrooks, federal Minister of Transport and Infrastructure John Baird, federal Minister of Defence Peter MacKay and HRM Mayor Peter Kelly made the joint announcement.

"I am pleased that this government continues to fulfill the commitments we made to Nova Scotians to maximize federal infrastructure spending," said Premier Dexter. "Today's announcement is providing much-needed infrastructure improvements, employing Nova Scotians, creating economic growth and making life better for people from across this province."

The two large projects the funds will go towards is sewer improvements in Cape Breton, and a new central library in Halifax.

NDP MLA Vicki Conrad says she is pleased the announcement for Queens Co.

“Minister Estabrooks continues to show his commitment to improving roadways in rural Nova Scotia,” said Conrad. “This area is in need of work and I’m happy to see it move forward.”

Tenders for the project will go out in late fall and early spring, and work is expected to take place in 2010.

The funding comes as part of Canada's Economic Action Plan investment of $33 billion in infrastructure across Canada with almost $12 billion in new infrastructure stimulus funding over the next two years.