News Releases
Government Home Search Sitemap Contact Us  


Transportation and Works
December 16, 2009

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Transportation and Works:

Trans Labrador Highway Phase III Now Open �
Connecting Labrador West, Through Lake Melville, to Southern Labrador

I rise today to provide an update on the status of one of the largest and most significant transportation projects in this province�s history.

The Trans Labrador Highway is being constructed in phases. Phase I is complete and runs between the Quebec border in Labrador West and Happy Valley-Goose Bay. We have committed to widening and hard-surfacing this phase of the highway and we continue to work toward this goal. The total cost of widening and hard-surfacing is expected to be nearly $200 million.

Phase II is also complete and runs from the Quebec border in Southern Labrador to the Cartwright Junction.

This government began awarding contracts for the construction of Phase III, running between the Cartwright Junction and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, in 2004 and I have the great pleasure of announcing that, effective today, Phase III of the Trans Labrador Highway is open to the public. This connects all three phases into one continuous Trans Labrador Highway route that spans approximately 1,150 kilometres from Labrador West to Southern Labrador. This is a truly monumental achievement and a pivotal moment in the history of Labrador and indeed the entire province.

The final cost of Phase III is expected to come in at approximately $130 million. To date, since the Williams Government�s first budget in 2004, we have spent approximately $185 million on the Trans Labrador Highway. Our commitment has been unwavering.

We had hoped to have an opening ceremony today to mark this historic occasion but due to adverse weather in the Big Land, we were not able to proceed as planned. With the installation of the last few pieces of highway signage completed, this road is now ready to be opened. With Christmas just around the corner and many people anxiously awaiting the opening of this highway, we felt it was important to open this highway as soon as possible. Weather, particularly on the South Coast of Labrador, has been very poor today and, given the adverse conditions, I ask motorists to check the latest road conditions before venturing out on this highway by calling the department�s dispatch line.

Next summer we will spend approximately $15 million to officially complete Phase III. Work will include things like the completion of two permanent bridge structures currently under construction, finishing work on the road surface and the completion of guide rail and permanent signage.

Mr. Speaker, this highway will greatly enhance the transportation network and bring Newfoundlanders and Labradorians closer together. I look forward to joining my Labrador colleagues and the peoples of Labrador to formally open this road at a ceremony sometime in the future.

2009 12 16                            2:30 p.m.


SearchHomeBack to GovernmentContact Us


All material copyright the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. No unauthorized copying or redeployment permitted. The Government assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any material deployed on an unauthorized server.
Disclaimer/Copyright/Privacy Statement