The Nova Scotia Department of Public Works recently announced the next group of approved Road Trail sites, available to off-highway vehicle users, and a pair of the trails are in Cape Breton. The province stated the Road Trails Act allows four-wheeled and two-wheeled off-highway vehicles to access the shoulders of roadways, and the roadway itself where necessary, to safely travel from one trail to another or to access facilities like gas stations in designated areas.
The two local trails include Cranton Crossing Road in Inverness County, which includes 640 meters on Cranton Cross Road and 1.6 km on West Big Interval Road to connect trail 105 to Highland Road and trail 105 to Cheticamp and also to connect to amenities in the area.
The other is Lennox Passage 2 in Richmond County, which includes 500 meters on Rogers Road, 150 meters on Highway 206 and 7.7 km on Highway 320 to connect trails on Isle Madame to the rail trail into River Tillard.
ATV Association of Nova Scotia executive director Barry Barnet said the additional trails will create connectivity for users. He called the progress a work in process, with the number of approved Road trails rising to 26-provincially approved and four municipal sites.
Barnet said he expects, over time, to see more of these sites that will provide access to services and make connections where they otherwise don’t exist. He said an interconnected trail system is a huge part of association’s multi-year strategic plan, so folks can get on their ATV and ride from one end of the province to the other.