Just 27% of N.S. roads were in ‘good’ or better condition in 2022: Statistics Canada

Province has fallen behind on infrastructure spending, construction association says

Andrew Lam · CBC News 

New data from Statistics Canada shows the majority of Nova Scotia’s public roads are crumbling and may be in worse condition when compared to Canada overall. 

In 2022, about 62 per cent of Nova Scotia’s roads were rated as being in “fair” condition or worse. Just 27 per cent were in “good” or better condition, with the status of the rest classed as “unknown.”

Statistics Canada defines “fair” as meaning that a piece of infrastructure still functions safely, but there is significant deterioration evident with isolated sections or minor components in need of replacement or repair.

In comparison, 52 per cent of Canada’s roads overall were rated “good” or better. These numbers are collected through a Statistics Canada survey every two years.

Governments and other organizations self-report the quality of their infrastructure based on standardized definitions from the statistics agency. Different organizations may have different methods of assigning the ratings.

The president of the Construction Association of Nova Scotia said he’s not surprised by the road condition figures.

“Nova Scotia … has fallen behind in terms of infrastructure, including our roads, bridges and highways,” said Duncan Williams.

Williams added that there’s a lot to maintain, with Nova Scotia being a largely rural province that has a big network of roads.

“Roadwork and infrastructure spending and maintenance sometimes becomes a can that … has gotten kicked down the road for decades.”

Nova Scotia’s major highways also stand out, with nearly three-quarters being in fair condition or worse in 2022.

About 82 per cent of roads in Nova Scotia are owned by the province. (Andrew Lam/CBC)

This data can help governments understand how much it will cost to maintain existing infrastructure, said Statistics Canada section chief Lee-Anne Jennings.

“As assets get older … we need to anticipate some reinvestment,” Jennings said.

The vast majority of roads in Nova Scotia are owned by the province.

CBC News reached out to the Nova Scotia Department of Public Works with questions about the province’s road maintenance efforts, and was pointed to the five-year highway improvement plan for this fiscal year.

The plan notes that “unlike many other provinces, the Province of Nova Scotia is responsible for maintaining the majority of [its] public roads.”

According to Statistics Canada, provincial government organizations owned more than 23,500 kilometres of roads in 2022 — that’s about 82 per cent of roads in Nova Scotia.

Williams said provincial governments have made a more concerted effort in the last decade or so to invest in infrastructure. “But of course you’re playing catch-up.”

He also noted other challenges with shortened paving and construction seasons due to the winter, and Nova Scotia being behind on the use of technology like automated traffic control that reduces labour demands.

More than 160 provincial highway improvement projects were planned for this fiscal year, according to the highway improvement plan. The province also increased funding for its gravel road program by $15 million this year to $55 million. The program improves existing roads in rural areas.

The Department of Public Works also uses some of its budget to conserve paved roads before they become damaged and need costly repairs, the plan noted.

In the Nova Scotia government’s 2024-25 capital plan, $483.3 million was allocated to projects in the highway improvement plan.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrew Lam

Reporter/Associate Producer

Andrew Lam (they/she) is a Chinese-Canadian and trans reporter for CBC Nova Scotia. They are interested in 2SLGBTQIA+, labour and data-driven stories. Andrew also has a professional background in data analytics and visualization.