Road work to be completed in St. Barbe District

Tom Rideout, Minister of Transportation and Works, and Wallace Young Jr., MHA for St. Barbe District, today announced that road work will soon be completed in the district. The road work is being done under the 2004 Provincial Roads Improvement Program.

Minister Rideout said, "Road work is clearly a priority for government and we are pleased to see the completion of this important project."

J-1 Contracting Limited of Clarenville, was awarded a contract worth $668,646, for road work that included recapping Route 430 from Gros Morne Park boundary at Western Brook toward St. Paul's and from Gros Morne Park boundary at Parsons Pond Head toward Portland Creek.

As well, just recently Nortech Construction Co. Ltd., of St. John�s, was awarded a contract to recap a section of the St. Barbe Loop Road. This work will be completed in approximately three weeks.

MHA Young said, "I most certainly welcome the much needed repairs and upgrades to road infrastructure in my district, especially those to Route 430. Improvements to this road are beneficial to the entire Northern Peninsula, as it is the vital commercial and tourism link through the region to Southern Labrador. We are committed to making it safe and enjoyable for the many residents, business travelers and tourists who use it."

Statistics Canada estimates that for every million dollars spent on road work, 12 direct and eight indirect jobs are created.

Media contact: Lori Lee Oates, Communications, (709) 729-3015