Bridge work causes traffic woes in Halifax
Maintenance work on Halifax’s two bridges is inevitable and so are the traffic problems it can cause.
“It was crazy, I was trying to go to Sobeys and I was coming down Wyse Road and it was insane. It took me 10 minutes just to get across to Sobeys,” says Dartmouth, N.S., resident Laura Gaskell.
With the MacKay Bridge closed last weekend for a resurfacing project, the Macdonald Bridge was the only span open, causing it to be busier than usual. An accident on Saturday brought traffic to a halt.
“In general, with the exception of one accident that took an hour to clean up because it involved three cars, the traffic on the bridge was good. There was lots of trouble on the approaches to the bridge,” said Steve Proctor, communications manager for Halifax Harbour Bridges.
At his campaign launch party for the mayor’s seat on Monday, Waye Mason said with a rapidly growing population, traffic and transportation infrastructure development are high on his list of priorities.
“A big part of it is also bus and ferry rapid transit. We need to see more rapid transit announcements like the one we saw about a month ago. We need to see significant investment in that,” says Mason.
The toll booths on the Macdonald Bridge are pictured. (Jonathan MacInnis/CTV Atlantic)
Any major advancements in transit likely won't happen for years. Combining downtown construction projects with work on the bridges means traffic delays will be ongoing.
“This is going to be a long-term thing with the MacKay Bridge. People need to plan ahead when there’s going to be a closure, look for alternatives,” Proctor says.
“If that’s going to be for the foreseeable, it’s going to be chaos every weekend,” Gaskell adds.
A vehicle travels on the Macdonald Bridge. (Jonathan MacInnis/CTV Atlantic)
Waye Mason says a traffic plan will become clearer when the province releases its report for the Joint Regional Transportation Agency.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6979388.1722030190!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Celine Dion delivers stirring comeback performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Against the rainy Paris night sky, Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career with a powerful performance from the Eiffel Tower to open the Olympic Games.
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before Jasper can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes "for several weeks."
Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in creek in Mississauga: police
A three-year-old boy has been found dead a day after he went missing in a park in Mississauga, Peel police say.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Turpel-Lafond won't sue CBC over Cree heritage report that took 'heavy toll': lawyer
The lawyer for a former judge whose claims to be Cree were questioned in a CBC investigation says his client is not considering legal action against the broadcaster after the Law Society of British Columbia this week backed her claims of Indigenous heritage.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn for $146,000 water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six figure water bill.
Health Canada warns some naloxone kits contain false instructions
Health Canada is warning some take-home naloxone kits come with bad instructions that should be ignored in favour of the correct guidance.
Paris dazzles with a rainy Olympics opening ceremony on the Seine River
Celebrating its reputation as a cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony studded with stars and fantasy along the Seine River.