Halifax Harbour Bridges is increasing its tolls for the MacDonald and MacKay bridges, saying the new fares will help “fund a 10-year capital plan and continue to provide safe, efficient and reliable cross‐harbour transportation for the next decade.”
The province’s Utility and Review Board approved the toll increase application for Halifax Harbour Bridges in October, saying the projects included in the capital plan are “necessary and appropriate to maintain the Bridges and ancillary structures to ensure they are in good operating condition.”
The fee for passenger vehicles using a MacPass will increase from $.80 to $1, and the cost for passenger vehicles using cash will rise from $1 to $1.25.
Commercial vehicles using cash or MacPass will see an increase of 25 per cent per axel.
While the change was supposed to take effect on Monday, Halifax Harbour Bridges said in a tweet that the new fares will start Tuesday.
“This is the first increase in a decade,” said Halifax Harbour Bridges CEO and general manager Steve Snider in a statement.
“We have $280 million of work that needs to get done over the next ten years to extend the life of the MacKay Bridge and keep the Macdonald Bridge operating at peak efficiency.”
Some of this work includes steel repair and painting, span bearings and pier rehabilitation, dehumidification of the MacKay Bridge main cable, resurfacing and deck repairs, and fatigue repairs and associated component replacement.
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