Print the Plan

Improve the Provincial Road Network

Implemented

Way Forward Commitment:

Our Government will take several measures to enhance planning and decision-making for road projects and to improve information sharing with the public and other stakeholders. In the first six months, we will:

  • Adopt multi-year planning and early tendering of road work. Release a full list of roads projects for the coming year in January 2017.
  • Pilot nighttime road construction. Release a tender for a nighttime road construction project in January 2017.

What We’ve Accomplished:

  • The first edition of the Five-Year Provincial Roads Plan was released on January 31, 2017 and included a full list of road projects for 2017-18 and a partial list of projects for each year between 2018-19 and 2021-22. Combined with early tendering for road projects, the multi-year approach better enables contractors to plan and prepare for their construction seasons and, ultimately, contributes to more work being completed for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. A total of $77.2 million was allocated for the 2017-18 provincial roads program and, during the year, more than 508 lane kilometres of highway were paved, more than 365 culverts were replaced, and 18 bridges were repaired.
  • Among the projects completed in 2017-18 was a pilot project on night-time road construction which consisted of paving various sections of the Trans-Canada Highway from Kenmount Road to Salmonier Line. Once completed, an evaluation of the project was conducted and the findings reported. The results show that undertaking night time paving operations in this province on any measurable scale is more costly. Pursuing day time projects is a better use of funds and will contribute to more priority road work being completed. Night time construction will still be considered, however, for future projects on a case-by-case basis.
  • The 2018 edition of the plan was released on February 7, 2018 and included an update on projects completed in 2017-18, a full list of roads projects for 2018-19 and a partial list of projects for 2019-20 to 2022-23. A total of $77.2 million was again allocated for provincial road projects for the upcoming construction season resulting in more than 800 lane kilometres of highway being paved across the province. Work also continued on the Trans-Labrador Highway with projects focused on widening and/or paving several highway sections.
  • The 2019 edition of the Five-Year Provincial Roads Plan was released on January 30, 2019, allocating $77.2 million to provincial road projects for the third year in a row. This year’s update includes a complete list of projects for 2019, along with additional projects for the next four years, out to 2023-24. AS in past years, projects were selected based on the ranking of factors such as safety, traffic volume, input from government engineers and feedback from users of provincial roads and highways. A public consultation held in 2018 resulted in 326 submissions.
    Road projects planned for the upcoming season include:

    • Repaving sections of the Trans-Canada Highway in Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor, and Gambo;
    • Repaving sections of Salmonier Line, the Southern Shore Highway, the Burgeo Highway, and Lewin Parkway;
    • Rehabilitating the Badger Brook Bridge and replacing Mutton Bay Bridge near Trepassey; and,
    • The completion of climbing lanes and centre line rumble strips on Veterans Memorial Highway.
  • The 2019 plan also includes updates on projects for the Trans-Labrador Highway and Team Gushue Highway, as well as other federal-provincial cost-shared projects. In total, investments in road infrastructure for 2019 will exceed $130 million.
  • For the Trans-Labrador Highway in particular, more than $40 million will be invested this year. Over the past three years we have invested approximately $85 million and have secured combined federal-provincial investments that will exceed $171 million over the course of the project.
  • Full details on the latest plan, including the routes scheduled for repair/upgrade in each year, can be found here.

News Releases

Government Announces Five-Year Provincial Roads Plan Developed through Evidence-based Planning

Public Advisory: Night Time Road Construction Beginning This Evening

Significant Improvements Made to Bridges, Roads and Highways in 2017

Minister Crocker Updates Five-Year Provincial Roads Plan

Update Provided on Road Work for 2018 Construction Season

Provincial Government Supporting Road Improvements in Stephenville Region

Minister Crocker Provides Update on Five-Year Provincial Roads Plan