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Trans-Canada Highway Improvement Project

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Collision Rates, Route 1 Borden to Cornwall, 1996-2010

Environmental Management Information for TCH Improvement Project

What does the project involve?

  • The highway from New Haven to Bonshaw is being rebuilt to bring it up to today's standards.

  • The existing 6.1 kilometre section will be replaced with a 5.8 kilometre road.

  • The total cost is $16 million.  It will be shared equally by the provincial and federal governments under the Atlantic Gateway, a cost sharing agreement that supports trade, highway efficency and safety.

  • The project is undergoing a full Environmental Assessment at both the Federal and Provincial levels of government.

Why is it being done, and does it need to be done?

  • For many years, the priority of the Department was to improve the heavily used Route 2.  Over $100 million was invested in this project.  Now that Route 2 is complete, the priority is to improve the Trans-Canada Highway.

  • The Trans-Canada is our busiest route, our main trade corridor, and most important highway.  It must be held to higher standards than secondary roads.

  • It is under-designed for today's standards and traffic patterns.  Smoothing out turns and making small fixes is not an option.  The fact that there is a problem cannot be ignored.

  • The alignment was designed in the 1950's.  Since then, traffic has steadily increased.  It is now used by an average of 6,350 vehicles per day, of which 630 are trucks.

  • The radius of five turns is well below the minimum standard of 440 metres.  Many curves have a radius much closer to 330 metres which is far too sharp.

  • The hills are too steep going up and down, making it hard to maintain a reasonable speed.  There is also not enough space between them to transition safely to the next.

  • There are 6 highway intersections and 34 points where people have no choice but to access the major high speed arterial highway directly.

  • Smoothing the turns is not possible because of the location of the CBC Tower and nearby NAPA protected lands.  It would cost upward of $10 million to move the tower in order to smooth the two curves at the west end of the corridor.  Smoothing the curves would compromise NAPA lands and it would not address the steep grade of the hills.

Where are we in the process?

  • The detailed design work is now being done.

  • The Environmental Assessment is underway, is scheduled to be submitted to Regulators by July, and we anticipate receiving EA Approval by mid-September.

  • It is hoped that construction can begin in September 2012 and be completed in late 2013.

What public meetings were held and what were the outcomes?

  • Three project options were brought to the public in October 2011.

  • After six public meetings and hundreds of submissions, the province decided to move ahead with a new plan that would re-align the TCH in New Haven, Churchill and Bonshaw without negatively impacting Strathgartney Park.

  • The new plan reflects input from the public.

Why was this option chosen?

  • It respects the wishes of the public to avoid construction in the park, on Natural Areas Protection Act (NAPA) land, and on Cotton Trust land.

  • It eliminates five sharp curves, four in Churchill and one in New Haven.

  • It eliminates over 30 driveway accesses.

  • It decreases the steepness of the hills by almost half.

  • It will improve intersections and provide better access to the Park.

  • The Bonshaw bridge will be widened from two to three to accommodate turning lanes, as requested by residents.

  • There will be no loss of parkland or protected land.

What are the safety issues?

  • Experts are advising Government that, because the road does not meet current standards, the public is at risk.

  • There are five below standard curves, over 30 public access points, very steep grades, and high traffic counts.

  • There is a lack of turning lanes which negatively impacts intersection safety.

  • The accident rate on this stretch is 50% higher than the rest of the Trans-Canada.

  • From 1996 to 2010, there were 103 collisions, of which two were fatal, 38 resulted in injury, and 63 resulted in property damage.

  • Factors like tires, alcohol, and speeding exist to the same extent on the entire highway. The accident rate is 50% higher in Churchill because the road is outdated and difficult to drive. Adding more policing and speed zones will not solve the problem.

What are the environmental issues?

  • A full federal-provincial Environmental Assessment is underway. This assessment includes noise monitoring, bird, fish, plant, and wildlife studies, wetland assessment, heritage and archaeological resources. Other considerations include landscape, topography and work methods.

  • The project’s Environmental Assessment (EA) process is ongoing and is expected to be completed in mid-September. The EA process includes a legislated public review and feedback component that is underway, and a public session scheduled for later in the summer.

  • Ministerial Approval of the project’s Environmental Assessment, from both the Federal Minister of Transport Canada (as the lead Federal regulator) and the Minister of the Province’s Department of Environment, Labour and Justice, is required prior to project start-up.

  • A project-specific environmental protection plan is being developed. This EPP will be submitted, as part of the project’s EA Process, for regulator review and approval, and will ensure the environment is protected to the fullest extent possible throughout project construction.

  • The ecological significance of all forested land is appreciated and valued. Government is striving to avoid and, where avoidance is not possible, to minimize the impact of this project on forested land. Most recently, the alignment has been adjusted to significantly minimize the footprint of the alignment on an important old growth (hemlock) forest stand.

  • The Department looks forward to working with stakeholders, such as community groups or local watershed groups, to develop and complete meaningful environmental enhancement projects. These enhancement projects may include: tree planting, stream restoration, bird nesting boxes and platforms, and improved recreational access.

What are the implications for property owners?

  • Of the 33 properties affected, there are 9 residential homes, 2 commercial properties (one of which is technically two parcels), 2 subdivision properties, 5 vacant residential properties, 8 farmland properties and 6 woodland lots.

  • 71 acres are required for the project. Of this, 32 acres are forested, 18 have potential for agriculture, and 21 acres are scrub land.

  • The Department is in the process of finalizing the property purchases necessary to move ahead. It is making every effort to be fair and equitable with local land owners.

  • Legislation allows the department to expropriate land but this would be an absolute last resort.

What are some other implications of building the highway?

  • TD Bank recently projected 2 percent growth for the Island and noted the project as an economic driver.

  • A recent study out of Alberta shows that for every dollar invested in highway improvements there is a three dollar savings in health care.

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