Contracts totaling almost $3 million have been awarded to two companies for brush clearing for the upcoming expansion of the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) which includes two additional divided highway sections.

Arbotech Management Inc. has been awarded a contract for $1.24 million for the clearing of the TCH from Whitbourne to Chance Cove, and a second contract for $486,800 for clearing of the TCH between Route 350 and Grand Falls-Windsor. Farrell’s Excavating Ltd. has been awarded a contract for $1.25 million for the clearing of the section of the TCH between Chance Cove and Sunnyside.

The contracts involve the clearing of the existing right-of-way on both sides of the highway, as well as additional widening for the new divided highway.

Announced in May 2023, the jointly funded federal-provincial highway twinning project includes a 15-kilometre section between Bishop’s Falls and Grand Falls-Windsor in the Central region, as well as a section of approximately 40 kilometres of highway heading west, beginning at Whitbourne in the Avalon region. Since the original announcement, an additional 20 kilometres have been added to the section of highway designated for twinning on the Avalon.

Twinning these sections of Trans-Canada Highway will help increase traffic capacity and ensure better separation between opposing traffic lanes. These improvements will also support reliability and security of access between rural communities, strengthen year-round transportation connections, improve transportation safety and enhance the TCH’s resiliency to climate change.

Information on tenders issued and awarded by the department and other public bodies is available by visiting www.merx.com/govnl.

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“The awarding of these contracts signals the preparation of the designated areas for our important upcoming highway twinning project. The proposed changes will be significant from a traffic safety perspective, while also facilitating connectivity between our rural and urban communities to service centres and other important government-related supports.”
Honourable Fred Hutton
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

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