Halifax construction projects causing commuter congestion

Traffic tie-ups are becoming part of the daily commute around Halifax as a number of construction projects cause detours and congestion around the city.

“Getting around is a little chaotic sometimes,” says American Rob Gillum.

Gillum has been coming to Halifax in the summer for the last 10 years. He says this year has been the worst he’s seen for traffic.

“Especially for somebody from out of town, things aren’t marked very well. Some streets aren’t marked at all, street signs aren’t there, missing. It makes it even harder to get around,” he says.

The roadwork can also affect the economy by restricting customer access to stores and delaying staff.

“Construction takes a pretty significant toll on business,” says Patrick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. “When businesses see five per cent, or in our case today, 15 per cent of our workforce couldn’t get here for an hour-and-a-half, it’s a pretty significant impact.

“When we have bridge closures on the weekend, we know that some of our members have told us that they have slowdowns if they’re in the north end of Halifax or in downtown Dartmouth.”

A construction sidewalk closure in Halifax. (Source: Jonathan MacInnis/CTV News Atlantic)

Sullivan says a few proposed solutions could cut into the construction slowdowns.

“We don’t take advantage, as many large cities do, (of) night work. There’s not as much work in Halifax as there are in other centres. That might be an opportunity. Greater transit might improve the traffic woes that we have,” he says.

Projects on Windmill Road and Windsor Street have been completed, providing some relief to commuters.

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