Monday, April 6, 2026
The federal government has approved construction of the Avon River aboiteau in Hants County, NS.
Constructing the new aboiteau will allow the Highway 101 twinning project through the Windsor area to be completed, a province of Nova Scotia release said. The work will include construction of two highway bridges, the aboiteau, a new control building and permanent dikes, as well as realignment of the Avon River estuary channel.
“We have been seeking approval on this project since 2020, and I am glad that we have come to an agreement that will allow us to get this job done. We have looked at all options, and the result is a solution that delivers flood protection while also improving fish passage,” Hants West MLA Melissa Sheehy-Richard said on behalf of Public Works Minister Fred Tilley.
The aboiteau design was approved under the Fisheries Act and will allow it to operate under a range of water management scenarioes to allow for greater future flexibility, the release said.
Construction is estimated to span three years with future operations to include long-term monitoring to evaluate the aboiteau’s impact on fish passage and the environment.
An aboiteau is a gated structure that controls tidal flow. the existing aboiteau and causeway function as a system that prevents tidal water from flowing upstream, protecting community infrastructure and 1,619 hectares of agricultural marshland from saltwater flooding, the release said.
