New connector planned to link Nova Scotia’s Highway 101, Hammonds Plains Road

The province of Nova Scotia says commuters in the Halifax-area will see solutions to traffic congestion in the coming years.

The need for a new “strategic link” has been identified between Hammonds Plains Road near Sandy Lake in Bedford and Exit 2 on Highway 101 in Lower Sackville.

The province says the new connector will be about five kilometres long and is expected to reduce congestion on several surrounding roads.

Upgrades are also being planned for the nearby interchange where highways 101 and 102 meet near Bedford, and on Highway 102 for the Kearney Lake Road and Hammonds Plains Road exits.

Increasing the capacity of Highway 102 and assessing options and routes for light rail are also being evaluated, according to a provincial news release.

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Premier Tim Houston says the upgrades to Highway 102 will be the largest updates ever done to a provincial highway in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

“People need to know they can get where they need to go efficiently. By creating new options and enhancing the ones we have, we have the opportunity to improve the commutes of hundreds of thousands of Nova Scotians every single day,” he said in the release.

The Department of Public Works will lead the projects over the next decade.

“Put together, these projects have the potential to transform the way we move around this province. Faster and safer travel times opens up more opportunities for people to get to work, and it supports our economy through the efficient movement of goods and services that we all want and need,” said Minister of Public Works Kim Masland.

The province says traffic and environmental studies, land acquisitions, consultations, cost estimates and design work need to be done first before construction can begin.

The Joint Regional Transportation Agency will support work on a light-rail feasibility study and corridor assessment in its regional transportation plan, which is due to the province at the end of next month.

Highway 101 near Lower Sackville averages about 44,000 vehicles a day, while Highway 102 near Bedford sees more than 52,000, according to the province.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.