Continued road construction causing headaches for Halifax drivers
It almost seems like there's construction on every road across the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), and it’s creating headaches for some drivers.
From highways 101 and 102 to Bedford, Sackville and downtown Halifax, road work is creating one-way traffic on some streets and closing others all together.
“Oh, my goodness, it is horrendous. Thank God I work at 4:30 in the morning so I don't have to deal with it coming to work but leaving through Bedford is a nightmare,” Wendy Ogrady says.
Some of the construction projects around HRM are long-term affairs; others completed in a matter of days.
Motorists say they wish there was more communication about where and when road closures are going to happen.
“Certainly for the longer-term closures or the bigger projects like Cogswell, for example, we tried to give residents as much notice as we can, so often providing several weeks lead time to notify them of construction impacts,” says Laura Wright, the municipality’s senior public affairs advisor.
The issue some have is the length of time it's taking to finish the job. The province's Burnside Connector is more than a year behind schedule. In Halifax, Almon Street is a few weeks behind.
“The project is taking a bit longer than originally scheduled as we run into a few obstacles along the way, like the discovery of old tram lines and learning that some essential utility work is also required,” Wright says.
A temporary tow away zone is pictured. (Source: Jonathan MacInnis/CTV News Atlantic)
The city's biggest undertaking is the Cogswell Interchange project, which is on schedule,
“We're also gearing up to reopen a section of Barrington Street that's been closed since June,” Wright says. “That will re-establish a key north-south corridor in downtown so we're hoping that traffic will improve.”
That can’t happen soon enough for Nick Portman, who lives in Sackville, N.B., but frequently visits Halifax.
“It's a pain in the butt. Last week we were visiting our son in Toronto and it was easier to get from his house into downtown than it is to get through Bedford at lunchtime,” Portman says. “What's astonishing, really, is that I was a little kid when they built the Bi-Hi and they haven't changed anything in 50 years.”
City officials say they're not sure how many more projects are left for the year. The goal is to wrap up the ones that are underway before the weather starts to change.
For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
W5 Investigates A 'ticking time bomb': Inside Syria's toughest prison holding accused high-ranking ISIS members
In the last of a three-part investigation, W5's Avery Haines was given rare access to a Syrian prison, where thousands of accused high-ranking ISIS members are being held.
'Mayday!': New details emerge after Boeing plane makes emergency landing at Mirabel airport
New details suggest that there were communication issues between the pilots of a charter flight and the control tower at Montreal's Mirabel airport when a Boeing 737 made an emergency landing on Wednesday.
BREAKING Supreme Court affirms constitutionality of B.C. law on opioid health costs recovery
Canada's top court has affirmed the constitutionality of a law that would allow British Columbia to pursue a class-action lawsuit against opioid providers on behalf of other provinces, the territories and the federal government.
Cucumbers sold in Ontario, other provinces recalled over possible salmonella contamination
A U.S. company is recalling cucumbers sold in Ontario and other Canadian provinces due to possible salmonella contamination.
Irregular sleep patterns may raise risk of heart attack and stroke, study suggests
Sleeping and waking up at different times is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, even for people who get the recommended amount of sleep, according to new research.
Real GDP per capita declines for 6th consecutive quarter, household savings rise
Statistics Canada says the economy grew at an annualized pace of one per cent during the third quarter, in line with economists' expectations.
Nick Cannon says he's seeking help for narcissistic personality disorder
Nick Cannon has spoken out about his recent diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder, saying 'I need help.'
California man who went missing for 25 years found after sister sees his picture in the news
It’s a Thanksgiving miracle for one California family after a man who went missing in 1999 was found 25 years later when his sister saw a photo of him in an online article, authorities said.
As Australia bans social media for children, Quebec is paying close attention
As Australia moves to ban social media for children under 16, Quebec is debating whether to follow suit.