Without a great deal of fan fair the regional media threw out a story yesterday that; the federal Government had announced it’s half, $50 million, for the surfacing of the Trans Labrador Highway between Happy Valley and Western Labrador.
This morning a couple of mayors expressed their pleasure at the announcement with not a little trepidation. Given history rightly so.
The Government of NL plans to widen “many sections” up to 3 meters, and to use chip seal on top of the gravel the road is presently surfaced with.
Some local wags refer to this as cheap seal.
Time will tell if it’s cheap or chipper, but most of the literature I have come across, added to the topography and the climate, makes one very cautious as to the viability of proceeding this way.
Another reason the locals are cautious is that the $175 million is for provincial infrastructure over 7 years = $25 million a year for the whole province.
So the first two years are committed to the TLH one would think given that Labrador is an integral part of the province.
It will take many more millions of $ to complete the hard surfacing
Many are sending Minister Hickey of WST kudos for his efforts in procuring the federal funds.
Much of the first $100 million committed by both governments will go to preparing the existing road for hard surfacing, so it may be awhile yet before any great changes will be seen.
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