N.S. to spend 2 more years studying replacement options for Halifax harbour bridge

N.S. to spend 2 more years studying replacement options for Halifax harbour bridge

Public works minister expects to have an option in 2028

Nova Scotia will spend another two years studying options for rebuilding or replacing one of the Halifax harbour bridges, but critics say the project has been examined enough and the cash-strapped government is just kicking a decision down the road.

Public Works Minister Fred Tilley announced Friday that his department will hire a company to examine the future of the A. Murray MacKay Bridge. Tilley said refurbishing the existing structure, building a completely new bridge or digging a tunnel under the harbour are options under consideration.

"It's about taking all of the information that was previously gathered by Halifax Harbour Bridges, compiling all that together, looking at providing a detailed business case on costing of each option, risks, responsibilities and impacts," Tilley told a news conference.

The bridge carries about 65,000 vehicles a day. When it opened in 1970, it became the second span to connect Halifax with the former City of Dartmouth, which is now part of the amalgamated Halifax Regional Municipality.

Known colloquially as the "new bridge," despite being more than 50 years old, it needs to be replaced by 2040.

The province's Progressive Conservative government removed tolls on the MacKay and Angus L. Macdonald bridges in March 2025, giving up tens of millions of dollars in revenue every year. And this spring, the government posted a $1.2-billion deficit.

Tilley said taking two more years to study the project is not about deferring costs.

"I wouldn't say it has anything to do with the province being broke," he said. "I think it's about due diligence and I think it's looking at the appropriate option for the appropriate current time and also into the future."

There have been several studies on the future of the bridge, including a 2020 report that found rehabilitating the MacKay could extend its life by 75 years, while a completely new build could last for a century.

Those options included replacing the current four-lane bridge, expanding it to six lanes, and adding lanes for walking and cycling.

The study found that rehabilitation would cost between $840 million and $1.35 billion, depending on the options chosen. The cost of replacing the bridge was projected between $760 million and $1.53 billion. Tilley declined to speculate on a more current cost estimate, saying that would be part of the new study.

NDP Leader Claudia Chender said commuters are spending too much time in traffic and the province can't keep putting off the project.

"People deserve to know when the work will begin, how this government plans to pay for it, what federal funding it's pursuing, and how it will build a crossing that reduces congestion and supports our region's growth in the decades ahead," Chender said in a statement.

Interim Liberal Leader Iain Rankin said the bridge is one of the most important pieces of infrastructure in Atlantic Canada, but he said Premier Tim Houston's government is doing another study instead of releasing a plan.

"This government continues to show it can't deliver major infrastructure projects that Nova Scotians can count on," Rankin said.

The Halifax Partnership, an economic development agency, said Halifax's population has grown by about 100,000 to 517,000 in the last decade. Defence investments from the federal government, including a new fleet of submarines that will be partially based in the city, are expected to increase pressure on the traffic grid.

Navigational company TomTom said Halifax had the 13th-worst traffic in North America last year, and was the third-most-congested city in Canada, behind Vancouver and Toronto.

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