Nova Scotia to conduct feasibility study on tolling major highways

WATCH: Nova Scotia issued a request Friday to conduct a province-wide feasibility study to twin 100 series highways and collect tolls to pay for the work. Ray Bradshaw reports.

HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government is looking into whether or not it should install tolls on some 100-series highways to help pay for twinning.

The province issued a request for proposals for a feasibility study on Friday. The report is scheduled to be complete by April 2016.

The request for proposals comes after a government study looking at the safety of Highways 101, 103, and 104 was released in April 2015.

Highway 103 has been called the second-deadliest highway in Canada. According to the government report there were 890 collisions in a 274-kilometre stretch, with 22 resulting in deaths.

Those who have lost family and friends have been calling on government for years to twin the highways.

Get daily National news

Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Jamie Hetherington died seven years ago in a car on Highway 103. His father feels a toll would be worth the cost.

“I hope the public agrees with it,” said father Bruce Hetherinton. “I think of paying a small price to get your family to work in the morning, to get your family home at night safe and sound, it’s much much better to have them walk in the door.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "I hope the public agrees with it," said father Bruce Hetherinton. "I think of paying a small price to get your family to work in the morning, to get your family home at night safe and sound, it's much much better to have them walk in the door."

Officials said they are looking into building toll highways on eight separate sections, including:

• Highway 101, Three Mile Plains to Falmouth
• Highway 101, Hortonville to Coldbrook
• Highway 103, Exit 5 at Tantallon to Exit 12 Bridgewater
• Highway 104, Sutherlands River to Antigonish
• Highway 104, Taylors Road to Aulds Cove
• Highway 104, Port Hastings to Port Hawkesbury
• Highway 104, St. Peters to Sydney
• Highway 107, Porter’s Lake to Duke Street, Bedford

Transportation Minister Geoff MacLellan said in a news release no tolls will be implemented until the feasibility study has been conducted and Nova Scotians have had their say.

With files from Ray Bradshaw.

WATCH: N.S. transportation minister discusses highway review