At least 60,000 vehicles cross the A. Murray MacKay Bridge in Halifax daily.
The heavy traffic, coupled with being more than 52 years old, means maintenance is often needed.
In this case, urgent asphalt repairs are starting Friday night.
“The emergency work on the MacKay was required because it’s in a significant situation, particularly when it gets hotter and the asphalt gets softer,” says Steve Proctor, communications manager for Halifax Harbour Bridges (HHB).
“So, we were really left with no choice.”
Two lanes will be closed to accommodate the asphalt repairs. Crews will work overnight to try to alleviate the traffic impact at busier times.
“They may be actually done by sunrise (Saturday),” Proctor says.
But there’s a sense of urgency to get it done quickly because there’s also a lane closure on the older, but more recently-renovated Angus L. Macdonald Bridge.
The “bikeway” is being resurfaced, during which the neighbouring vehicle lane is being shuttered.
“It’s been going on for the past week, and hopefully it’ll be done at the end of the weekend,” Proctor says.
$1B replacement plan
Halifax councillor David Hendsbee, who sits on the Halifax Harbour Bridges Commission, says he wants a new bridge altogether.
“I’d love to see a third bridge, especially in the south end of Halifax to connect Robie Street to the Circumferential Highway,” he says.
Having three functioning bridges is not an option being considered at the moment, however.
“Right now, we’re looking at a replacement of the MacKay Bridge,” he says.
That’s because, despite being known by many locally as “the new bridge,” the MacKay Bridge’s lifespan is coming to an end.
“The MacKay has bigger problems, bigger challenges on a longer-term basis, it’s getting older,” says Proctor. “By 2040, it will need to either be renovated or replaced.”
“We have to look at the replacement of the bridge and hopefully with better lane capacity, ” Hendsbee says.
“Right now, it’s currently a four-lane bridge,” he says. “We’re looking at a maybe six-lane bridge, with dedicated lanes for transit as well as an additional sidewalk and bikeway to be added.”
The cost would be more than $ 1 billion, he says.
“We’re looking at this within a 15-year window,” he says, noting that planning would likely take five to seven years.
Hendsbee also says electronic tolling is coming “to get more seamless movement of traffic on the current bridge structures.”
“But then we have to look at future rate increases for not just electronic tolling, but to get us prepared for the MacKay replacement.”