The multi-year project to build the Trans Labrador Highway, connecting Southern Labrador with Central Labrador through 280 km of virgin wilderness, is nearing completion. Phase III of the mega-project started construction in 2004, with a total of 10 contracts for sequential sections being tendered. AIL is pleased to have been selected for every contract, with over 14,000 m of Corrugated Steel Pipe, and 600 m of Bolt-A-Plate and Super•Cor engineered structures being installed.





Due to the Northern climate, the construction season is really only four months long. The project was built from either end to meet in wilderness in the centre. Materials shipping had to go to two different locations. The South location was by truck and the North Location had to go by truck, boat and truck again, before it got to the jobsite.

Scheduling raw materials, production and shipping was a challenge in meeting the customer's needs. AIL's Deer Lake plant would make the pipe runs as per the highway design, mark the pipes for each destination and then have to nest up different size pipes before it was shipped.

The owner of the project is the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the highway was designed by the Department of Transportation and Public works. Project partners were Johnson's Construction of Pasadena, NL, for nine sections, and North Links Construction of Happy Valley, NL, for the remaining one. Having good contractors to assemble our Corrugated Steel Pipe, Bolt-A-Plate and Super•Cor structures in such a remote location was a blessing.

AIL's Corrugated Steel Pipe has a long history of proven service performance for storm sewer, highway construction, mining and forestry applications. It is available in a variety of sizes, corrugation profiles, thicknesses and lengths to suit virtually any application. It will not crack under impact loads or vibrations due to the inherent strength of steel and the flexibility of the corrugated pipe section. The high ring compression of the pipe absorbs and transfers the load to the surrounding soil around the entire circumference. The beam strength maintains the grade and line of the structure by bridging inequalities of the trench bottom and side fill. Coatings include: galvanized (50 year); aluminized type 2 (75 year); or polymer laminated (100 + year). A complete line of standard and specialized fittings, couplers and accessories is available.