Sixty-two plows and 26 loaders are being added to the provincial fleet of snow clearing equipment to help keep highways in Newfoundland and Labrador safe this winter.
The new equipment began arriving at depots throughout the province in early November and includes:
- 17 plows and seven loaders on the Avalon Peninsula;
- 13 plows and five loaders in eastern Newfoundland;
- 13 plows and four loaders in central Newfoundland; and
- 19 plows and 10 loaders in western Newfoundland.
Snow clearing and ice control services in most of Labrador are provided through contracts with Johnson Construction and Grey Rock Construction.
A five-year lease-to-purchase agreement valued at $19.2 million was awarded to Hickman Truck Centre to lease the 62 plows. A five-year lease-to-purchase agreement valued at $6.8 million was also awarded to Wajax Equipment for lease of the loaders.
As per the tender specifications, each of the plows and loaders will have a purchase option at the end of the five-year period of $100.
In addition, six loaders valued at $153,000 each were purchased from Toromont Cat in St. John’s in 2020.
The new plows and loaders replace older equipment in the department’s current fleet of 328 plow trucks and 157 loaders throughout the province.
The public is reminded that highway driving conditions updates, camera images from 44 highway cameras, and the Provincial Plow Tracker are available by visiting www.nl511.ca or by downloading the NL 511 app.
Quote
“Balancing fiscal responsibilities while ensuring people can drive on safe highways in the wintertime is a reality we face in our department. By replacing older equipment, our plows will require less time out of service for repairs and maintenance costs will be significantly reduced.”
Honourable Derrick Bragg
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
-30-
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Media contact
Emily-Jane Gillingham
Transportation and Infrastructure
709-729-1758, 730-4607
emilygillingham@gov.nl.ca
