Highway 107

It takes a lot of rock to build safe roads and highways! For example, over 650,000 tonnes of rock aggregate went into building the new extension of highway 107.

The extension, which opened in late 2024, connects Burnside (via the top of Akerley Blvd.) to Lower Sackville (near Highway 102 Exit 4C). It is nine kilometers of new, controlled access, 4-lane highway that includes ten new bridges, nine new roundabouts and 1.2 kilometers of arterial connector roads.

Building it required over 650,000 tonnes of aggregate sourced from both a nearby quarry and along the highway corridor as blasting removed rock and leveled the ground in preparation for construction. The aggregate went into constructing the highway subgrade, base gravels and fill, and into producing the asphalt. Aggregate makes up about 94% of asphalt.

To keep construction costs down, companies establish a lot of small quarries widely dispersed throughout the province, especially in areas where construction projects are planned, so aggregate can be sourced relatively close to construction sites. This reduces the amount of fuel used in trucking the aggregate, which reduces cost and lowers emissions from fuel consumption.

Keeping costs down means more paving can be done and reduces the financial burden on taxpayers. This model is the only economic way to build and maintain our roads and highways, and to keep our infrastructure safe for Nova Scotians.

The network of small quarries means aggregate quarried in a community is generally used in the community to improve the local road system and make it safer for residents.

It also makes aggregate available to local contractors for other types of construction projects in the community. For example, a typical single-family home contains about 160 tonnes of gravel (about 11 truckloads) beneath the basement floor, as drainage rock around the foundation to prevent basement flooding, and in concrete walls, floors, steps, sidewalks, patios and driveways.

Aggregate is the most-mined material in the world because it is used in virtually all infrastructure, including homes, roads, schools and hospitals.