Cogswell Interchange construction in Halifax enters a new phase

Cogswell Street is an important part of many people’s morning commutes in downtown Halifax, but starting Wednesday, motorists will have to detour as construction has closed the Cogswell street ramp.

“It will remain closed until June of 2024. That will enable us to remove the ramp,” said Donna Davis, City of Halifax’s project manager of the Cogswell District Redevelopment Project.

The Cogswell ramp in Halifax has been closed for Phase 2 of redevelopment. (Hafsa Arif/CTV Atlantic)

This is part of Phase 2 of the Cogswell Interchange redevelopment plan, which will pave the way for the city to reconstruct the new Cogswell street below the current ramp and include new services underground.

Cogswell Street is closed from Brunswick to Barrington Streets as part of this new phase.

The city says it has been in constant contact with businesses in the area.

“We’ve always been concerned that there would be public perception that the area is really being shut down, but so far our experience has not been that. Cars have been able to get through the Cogswell Interchange because there’s access and there always [has] been accessible,” said Paul Mackinnon, chief executive officer of Downtown Halifax Business Commission.

The closure will have significant impact on the city’s bus routes. “Those buses will be rerouted so most of the buses will still travel on Gottingen Street as originally projected. A few will be rerouted to other streets but they will no longer be able to use this ramp,” explained Davis.

The next phase of the project will deal with the section between Barrington Street and Duke Street, where the section between will be redeveloped below the second ramp on that street.

“Construction is nothing new in downtown Halifax. This is a bigger project than we’re used to and maybe has more traffic impacts but for the most part downtown is still very accessible,” said MacKinnon.

The Cogswell Interchange in Halifax is currently undergoing Phase 2 of redevelopment. (Hafsa Arif/CTV Atlantic)

Originally construction for the Cogswell interchange was projected to be completed in autumn 2025. Davis said this project is a few months behind which will push the completion date to December 2025, but there is still much work that needs to be done for the upcoming phases.

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