Nova Scotia highway tolls study should come out in spring

Nova Scotia's transportation minister says a feasibility study on new toll roads should be ready this spring.

Geoff MacLellan says public opinion surveys suggest residents aren't necessarily against the idea.

However, MacLellan says the polls also suggest the public wants to see details of the government's plan before deciding.

The tolls would be used to help pay for the twinning of up to eight sections of 100-series highways:

• Highway 101 -Three Mile Plains to Falmouth -9.5 km
• Highway 101 -Hortonville to Coldbrook -24.7 km
• Highway 103 -Exit 5 at Tantallon to Exit 12 Bridgewater -71 km
• Highway 104 -Sutherlands River to Antigonish -37.8 km
• Highway 104 -Taylors Road to Aulds Cove -38.4 km
• Highway 104 -Port Hastings to Port Hawkesbury -6.75 km
• Highway 104 -St. Peter's to Sydney -80 km
• Highway 107 -Porters Lake to Duke Street, Bedford -33 km

If the province went ahead with all eight projects, it would mean twinning a total of 301.2 kilometres of highways.

The Liberal government has pledged to hold 16 rounds of public hearings on the matter.

Currently, the Cobequid Pass on Highway 104 is the only toll road in the province. The 45-kilometrestretch of road took 20 months to build at a cost of $96million. Most motorists now pay a $4 toll to use it. Trucks can pay up to $24, depending on the size of the vehicle.