The Nova Scotia government is going to fund the re-decking of the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge, which links Dartmouth and Halifax.
Finance Minister Maureen MacDonald announced on Friday that the province is providing a $200-million repayable loan to cover the costs of the re-decking of the bridge, which is owned by the province.
“A loan agreement with the province is the lowest cost way to finance this project,” said MacDonald.
During a news briefing Friday morning, Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission officials told reporters that the final design stages for the re-decking are underway and that a tender will be awarded next year with work to begin in January 2015.
The bridge road deck, floor beams, stiffening trusses and suspender ropes will be replaced, which the province says will extend the life of the 60-year-old span and reduce future maintenance.
The work will be done between 7 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. and the bridge will be closed during those hours.
It will be open to traffic during the rest of the day.
MacDonald says the loan won’t affect the province’s net debt and will be repaid through bridge tolls.
The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board granted toll increases in 2011 and 2012 to help fund the project.
Steve Snider, CEO of the Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission, says he doesn’t believe it will be necessary to increase tolls again to cover the costs, at least in the foreseeable future.
Approximately 45,000 people use the Macdonald Bridge each day and Snider says it’s being used to about 97 per cent of its capacity now.
Work is expected to be completed in the fall of 2016.
