Bike lane construction delayed in Halifax after tram lines discovered

Construction on Almon Street in Halifax that started more than a month ago will continue longer than expected after city crews uncovered old tram lines beneath the road.

“In order to remove the tram lines, we had to bring in larger breaking equipment that could cut through the concrete and steel rails,” said Laura Wright, spokesperson for Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).

The city discovered the tram lines while building bike lanes through Almon Street. Crews have completed one lane, with plans to add another on the opposite side of the street. Construction has restricted traffic on one side of the road.

The city said it is unable to accommodate traffic for safety reasons due to the depth of the tram lines. Closing the road will allow the contractor to backfill gravel during the removal process to restore local access.

“Once the Almon street bikeway is complete, it will create a key east, west, corridor in the North End and it also represents a significant contribution to our active transportation network,” said Wright.

The section under construction connects to Robie Street, a major artery through Halifax. The delay could result in heavier traffic as vehicles are rerouted.

Darlene Dicks says the closures have impacted her workplace.

“On Bayers Road when they did it, they did it right,” Dicks said. “They just drew a line up a big sidewalk. But here it’s nothing but construction and it’s just taking away business from my work. Nobody goes to us now because they don’t want to. It’s too much of a hassle to get in.”

While there is no data measuring the number of cyclists in the north end, other parts of the city see more than 1,000 cyclists some days.

“I just think that the more bike lanes that we have throughout the city, the safer for everybody,” said Dylan Carr, a cyclist in the city.

Almon Street will be closed for the next two weeks. Construction is expected to be completed this fall.

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