Department of Public Works: About us

The Department of Public Works builds and maintains provincial highways, roads and bridges. We provide a safe and efficient transportation system that helps move people and goods throughout the province. We also build and maintain government buildings and operate the province’s 7 ferries.

The department is also responsible for road safety initiatives, Registry of Motor Vehicles, provincial highway cameras and road condition updates with the 511 service.

• designing, building and maintaining provincial highways, public buildings, bridges and other related infrastructure
• supporting healthcare renovation and expansion projects in Cape Breton Regional Municipality and at the QEII Health Science Centre in Halifax
• providing ministerial oversight for Build Nova Scotia and the Joint Regional Transportation Agency
• road safety initiatives
• Registry of Motor Vehicles
• highway cameras and plow tracking

The Department of Public Works has about 2,000 staff working across the province.

• developing and sharing the annual Five-Year Highway Improvement Plan
• developing regulations to support the Traffic Safety Act
• working with Transport Canada to create funding for infrastructure projects
• managing the contract with Bay Ferries Limited to provide ferry service between Maine and Nova Scotia
• developing infrastructure projects to help improve communities throughout the province, , including infrastructure to support the healthcare
• working with the Joint Regional Transportation Agency to help prepare the Halifax Regional Municipality transportation system to support growth
• supporting Build Nova Scotia’s work with provincial community land and infrastructure