Ingramport Connector on Highway 103 could open by fall

A new exit between exits 5 and 6 on Highway 103 is expected to open by the end of September, according to the Nova Scotia's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal.

The new exitwill lead from the highway to therecently completed roundabout at Trunk 3 on the St. Margarets Bay Road. The roundabout officiallyopened in fall 2015.

"Right now we're just working on the final tendering," said Isaac Bou-Karam, aproject engineer at the department.

'Better emergency response times'

"The main thing that we're trying to accomplish is providing better emergency response times for emergency personnel in the area as well as improving the infrastructure in the area so you're going to get better commuting times for the public."

Work on the $16-million project began in 2013 with the clearing of the forest area by the site. In 2014, work began on the subgrade (the foundation of the road under the gravel and asphalt) on the connector. The roundabout was built as well as an underpass.

The last leg of the project is paving the connector road, adding traffic lights and signs, as well as a trail bridge near the roundabout.

Controversial project

The project has been controversial at times. Highway 103 is synonymous with deadly car crashesonits un-twinned portions.

The soon-to-open exit is on an un-twinned section.People have been calling for the section to be twinned for years but the province said that couldn't happen until the connector and interchange were built first.

"There was some pushback early on and during the construction by the direct local residents but we feel just by working in the area and speaking to the rest of the residents in the area and people driving by and passing by, walking ... we found that a lot of people are actually for this and not against it,"Bou-Karam said.