Lights out on MacKay Bridge leaves commuters in the dark
The Mackay Bridge is a part of thousands of Halifax-area drivers’ daily commute to work. Roughly 60,000 vehicles make the trip across the bridge each day.
But recently, some drivers have been left in the dark.
“This is 33 out of 197 lights, so admittedly there are places where it’s been a little darker than it has been,” said Steve Proctor, communications manager with Halifax Harbour Bridges.
About six months ago, the Mackay Bridge saw two of its street lights stop working. In order to prevent lane closures, the commission left those lights off.
Then a few weeks ago, another group of lights stopped working as well. Proctor said the outage was due to old lights.
“We did some investigations and the challenge is, of course, ten years of lighting technology has changed,” said Proctor. “The lighting is no longer available, so we can’t just do a swap kind of thing.”
Commuter Bryn Davies frequently travels to Dartmouth using the Mackay Bridge for work. She said the lack of lights when driving to the bridge is a safety concern, especially for seniors.
“We have a very large elderly population here. It’s dark and [their] eyesight may be not as good,” She said “It’s a lot harder to see, especially if they’re having to cross the bridge. It’s just not comfortable to be in pitch black, up high and you can’t see anything.”
Proctor said the lights have a ten-year warranty and the bridge commission is looking for solutions.
“We’re dealing with the same supply issues as everybody else and we’re trying to resolve it as quickly as possible. Is that two weeks or a month? I don’t know,” he said.
Interchanges near the bridge like the one at Victoria Road are also seeing some changes. Halifax Harbour Bridges is adding reflective tape along the ramps.
“We had to take out the mast lighting because it was a risk that the lighting was showing signs of wear [caused by] the wind,” said Proctor.
With supply chain issues being cited as a cause for delays, Halifax Harbour Bridges will have its internal meeting on Tuesday to determine other possible alternatives, including reaching out to the city or another bridge authority.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.