HALIFAX, N.S. — The province has moved closer to completing the first phase of Highway 101 twinning with the recent awarding of two key construction projects.

St. Lawrence Cement was awarded a $5.9 million contract to pave 11 kilometres of new surface in concrete; Dexter Construction was awarded a $1.3 million contract to build a new railroad overpass half-way between Mount Uniacke and Ellershouse.

“This is a significant step forward in our goal of twinning Highway 101,” said Michael Baker, minister of transportation and public works. “We are on schedule to open a new twinned section of road in the fall.”

As well, a second tender has been advertised for paving of 10 kilometres of twinned asphalt roadway along Highway 101. The work, in asphalt, will run from the railroad overpass on Highway 101 to the Mount Uniacke Overpass. The tender closes June 13.

Concrete roads are rare in Nova Scotia but more common in other provinces and states. There are two existing concrete roads in Nova Scotia, near Oxford on Highway 104 and on the Bridgetown Interchange off Highway 101.

The new twinned portion of Highway 101 should be ready to open in the fall of 2003.