N.S. minister unable to provide a timeline for Chignecto Isthmus upgrades

Nova Scotia’s public works minister says he can’t offer a timeline when work will be complete to upgrade the low-lying strip of land that links the province to New Brunswick.

Fred Tilley faced questions today in the legislature about progress on the Chignecto Isthmus project from Independent member Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin.

She says her constituents in Cumberland County are concerned about the risks to their communities if work doesn’t move forward quickly on upgrading dikes to better protect rail, road and communication lines.

Climate researchers have warned that one severe storm in the Bay of Fundy could overwhelm the area’s 35 kilometres of dikes, flooding communities and halting the transportation of goods.

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The isthmus includes a section of the Trans-Canada Highway and a Canadian National railway line, where an estimated $100 million of goods and services cross daily.

Tilley says the project was estimated to take 10 years, but there are too many factors at play for him to provide an updated timeline.

Ottawa announced in March it would put $325 million toward the $650-million project, with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick each committing $162.5 million.

When asked if his department is still pushing for Ottawa to pick up the entirety of the bill, Tilley did not directly answer but said he still believes it is a federal project.