A major highway upgrade is going to impact rush-hour traffic in the Halifax area for the rest of the year.
Work has begun on the Joseph Howe Interchange and is expected to last for the next eight months.
“There’s a lot of traffic on that road coming in in the morning and going out at night,” says motorist Guy Noel. “Anything that’s going to slow it down is going to have unhappy campers.”
The overpass is getting new pavement, bridge rails, concrete and lighting.
Construction is expected to last until the end of November, and many motorists are already changing their route plans because of it.
“I’ll just stay away from peak hours,” says Noel.
“I might just come around through Clayton Park just to try and avoid it and look at coming in at a different time I suppose,” says motorist Alan MacMullen.
Transportation staff say two lanes of traffic will be open in the direction of peak traffic, as much as possible, during the morning rush hour and outbound in the evening.
The upgrade is part of a multi-year project in the department’s five-year highway improvement plan.
“It has to be done. It will create jobs. It will be better,” says motorist Jane Maidens.
The upgrade is expected to cost around $3.4 million.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jacqueline Foster
