Windsor Street Exchange redesign approved by Halifax council with amendments
A busy intersection in Halifax may soon be the subject of the city's next major transportation infrastructure project.
A major reconfiguration of the Windsor Street Exchange, which is near the MacKay Bridge, has been recommended by city staff and supported by a vote during council on Tuesday.
However, amendments were needed as some councillors expressed concerns about the lack of bus only lanes, active transportation routes and the ability to integrate future projects.
“As a member of Halifax Transportation Committee, I put forward motion actually looking at how we can increase cycling safety, pedestrian safety, look at pedestrian walkways. Make it more accessible to all people not just vehicular traffic," said Halifax councillor Pam Lovelace.
The staff report shows 110,000 vehicles pass through the multi-approach intersection everyday, which is above its operating capacity.
“We needed it 10 years ago and that is part of the problem. We continue to grow without updating the infrastructure that we have. We have a massive infrastructure deficit,” Lovelace said.
“Halifax Regional Council has been looking at this for many years, trying to figure out, how much money is it going to cost? What is the best way to get through there?” asked Lovelace.
The project would fall under Ottawa’s National Trade Corridor Fund, which currently requires the work to be done this year.
However, Halifax's mayor and council are confident they can get an extension.
“We’ll see. If the mayor writes a very nice letter, says please really nice, maybe the feds will give us a little more time,” said councillor Lindell Smith.
Building up Halifax’s transportation infrastructure has been long discussed.
Smith hopes the suggested amendments are right for the city now and in the future.
“Make sure that we do this project right. Our contribution has grown because of the timeline and how expensive things have gotten in general, so we are already looking at significant investment from HRM,” said Smith.
Work on the Windsor Street Exchange project is expected to begin next spring.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From essential goods to common stocking stuffers, Trudeau offering Canadians temporary tax relief
Canadians will soon receive a temporary tax break on several items, along with a one-time $250 rebate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
She thought her children just had a cough or fever. A mother shares sons' experience with walking pneumonia
A mother shares with CTVNews.ca her family's health scare as medical experts say cases of the disease and other respiratory illnesses have surged, filling up emergency departments nationwide.
Trump chooses Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Gaetz withdraws
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Thursday named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, to be U.S. attorney general just hours after his other choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name from consideration.
A one-of-a-kind Royal Canadian Mint coin sells for more than $1.5M
A rare one-of-a-kind pure gold coin from the Royal Canadian Mint has sold for more than $1.5 million. The 99.99 per cent pure gold coin, named 'The Dance Screen (The Scream Too),' weighs a whopping 10 kilograms and surpassed the previous record for a coin offered at an auction in Canada.
Putin says Russia attacked Ukraine with a new missile that he claims the West can't stop
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday that Moscow has tested a new intermediate-range missile in a strike on Ukraine, and he warned that it could use the weapon against countries that have allowed Kyiv to use their missiles to strike Russia.
Here's a list of items that will be GST/HST-free over the holidays
Canadians won't have to pay GST on a selection of items this holiday season, the prime minister vowed on Thursday.
Video shows octopus 'hanging on for dear life' during bomb cyclone off B.C. coast
Humans weren’t the only ones who struggled through the bomb cyclone that formed off the B.C. coast this week, bringing intense winds and choppy seas.
Taylor Swift's motorcade spotted along Toronto's Gardiner Expressway
Taylor Swift is officially back in Toronto for round two. The popstar princess's motorcade was seen driving along the Gardiner Expressway on Thursday afternoon, making its way to the downtown core ahead of night four of ‘The Eras Tour’ at the Rogers Centre.
Service Canada holding back 85K passports amid Canada Post mail strike
Approximately 85,000 new passports are being held back by Service Canada, which stopped mailing them out a week before the nationwide Canada Post strike.