Minister announces awarding of contract for road improvements in Conception Bay East and Bell Island

Tom Rideout, Minister of Transportation and Works, and Dianne Whalen, Minister of Government Services and MHA for Conception Bay East - Bell Island, today announced that Pyramid Construction Limited has been awarded a contract to complete road work throughout the district. Funding for these projects is made available under the 2005-06 Provincial Roads Improvement Program.

Pyramid Construction Limited, St. John�s, has been awarded a contract valued at $746,003 to complete a number of projects in the district.

Under the contract, the following work will be completed:

• Resurfacing approximately 2.3 kilometres of Indian Meal Line;

• Resurfacing approximately 0.5 kilometres of Middleton Road;

• Resurfacing approximately 0.3 kilometres along Lighthouse Road, sections of Main Street,

• Quigley�s Lane and Lance Cove Road;

• Resurfacing approximately 0.5 kilometres of O�Neill�s Hill on Bell Island.

�The Department of Transportation and Works maintains approximately 9,500 kilometres of primary, secondary and community roads throughout the province,� said Minister Rideout. �To ensure that we address as many infrastructure issues as possible during this fiscal year, government has allocated $48.7 million for this year�s program, including $3.7 million in carryover work from last year.

�We began announcing road work in May, and since that time, officials in the department have been calling tenders to ensure that as much of this work as possible is completed before the end of this construction season.�

�I am very pleased that work can now start to improve the roads in my district of Conception Bay East � Bell Island,� said Minister Whalen. �Last July, we announced which areas would see improvement. Maintaining good road work is incredibly important for the safety of our traveling public.�

�We are currently in a good position to complete a significant portion of this year�s road program,� said Minister Rideout. �We will work diligently to complete as many projects as possible. To that end, I am pleased that road work in Conception Bay East - Bell Island can now commence.�

It is anticipated that these projects will be completed by the end of this year.

Media contact: Lori Lee Oates, ABC, Communications, (709) 729-3015, 690-8403

2005 09 20                            4:40 p.m.