Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea yesterday afternoon unveiled the cornerstone for the new Prince County Highway Maintenance facility.
Premier Pat Binns, Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea, and area MLA Wilfred Arsenault toured the facility and met with staff who will be working there. An official opening ceremony event and public open house will follow later this fall once the facility is completely operational.
“Investments like this are an example of how we are working to improve safety on Island roads,” said Premier Pat Binns. “By upgrading our highway maintenance facilities we are making sure that we have a quality facility to help better serve the public.”
The new $4 Million, 30,000 square foot facility is located in Slemon Park, adjacent to Route 2, the province’s Veterans Memorial Highway. The Slemon Park location was selected due to the close proximity and access to Route 2.
The new facility will replace the current garage located on Pope Road. The new facility in Slemon Park was required due to the inadequate size of the former facility, the distance that had to be traveled through a built up residential area to gain highway access and concerns related to indoor air quality.
“This new facility will provide a better work environment for our staff and help improve service delivery for citizens through a more central location,” said Shea. “I want to congratulate all of the contractors, staff and workers who helped make this new facility a reality.”
The new facility will house staff, equipment and materials for the department’s Capital Projects and Highway Maintenance Divisions as well as the Mechanical Branch operations located in the Summerside area. The new facility will also feature 12 mechanical repair bays which will service various highway equipment along with the school bus fleet operating out of the Summerside area.
The new Prince County Highway Maintenance facility was publicly tendered and awarded to MacLean Construction. The project cost was approximately $4 Million.