Halifax drivers can expect some bridge closures coming up this month, as work begins to remove toll plazas on the Macdonald and MacKay spans.
As part of its 2025 budget, Nova Scotia announced it will be eliminating tolls on the two bridges over Halifax Harbour as of April 1.
Tolls on both bridges range from $1 for those with passes to $1.25 for drivers who pay cash at the toll plazas.
Halifax Harbour Bridges (HHB) plans to begin demolition of the Macdonald Bridge toll plaza on the weekend of March 14. The work would require the bridge to be closed that weekend, and likely the weekend after.
“The reason it’s taking two weekends is one, we have to remove everything above the asphalt,” said Tony Wright, CEO of Halifax Harbour Bridges, on Global News Morning.
“And probably most people don’t know this, but there’s a lot of equipment in the ground and there’s a utilities tunnel there. So weekend two is about dealing with that and then realigning the roadway.”
He said it’s vital for drivers to be patient and attentive, because it will be a “construction site for a number of weeks.”
Wright explained the focus will be on the Macdonald Bridge first, and then they’ll turn their attention to the MacKay Bridge.
Wright said the MacKay closure will closely follow the Macdonald closures.
“We’ll be doing the same thing. Basically tearing down the superstructures, dealing with some roadway realignment work and then opening it up a couple of weeks later.”
There are about 230,000 MacPass accounts. HHB advises people to log in to their accounts online to make sure their credit card information is updated so they can work on refunding accounts on unused funds eventually.
Revenue source and future plans
Premier Tim Houston made it an election campaign promise to eliminate the tolls, saying it would relieve congestion for drivers.
Wright said he believes the change will make an impact.
“My office looks over the toll plazas on the bridge, and from the amount of horn blaring and tire screeching we hear in the toll plazas, yeah, it’s evident that it’s a very confusing environment for drivers,” he said.
“So eliminating that will make a big difference.”
It’s estimated 110,000 vehicles cross the two bridges daily, and tolls generate about $40 million each year.
For HHB, funding for maintenance and operation will look different moving forward.
“For the last 70 years or so, we’ve been reliant on our toll collection as a revenue source to fund all our maintenance and operations. Come April 1st, that’s going to change,” said Wright.
“We’ll have to work closely with the province on identifying the resources to do the work. That’s necessary, because one thing that won’t change is the amount of work that has to happen to keep these bridges operational.”
As for the future direction of the MacKay, Wright said it is “now beyond its design service life” and will require work or replacement.
A report is coming in the next few months on whether it can be fixed with a ‘big lift’ type project, which the Macdonald underwent a few years ago.
