Starting March 17, tolls on the Halifax Harbour Bridges will be no more, marking a major shift in the city’s transportation and traffic flow.
The toll plazas will also be eliminated soon after, with construction work on the Macdonald and MacKay bridges leading to some temporary closures.
As part of the province’s 2025 budget, Nova Scotia’s promise to eliminate tolls on the two bridges over Halifax Harbour as of April 1 will finally become a reality two weeks ahead of schedule.
The tolls, which currently range from $1 for those with passes to $1.25 for those paying cash, will be removed in a bid to reduce congestion and improve traffic flow across the bridges.
The interchange to access the Macdonald Bridge will feature three lanes in each direction, with signage and existing traffic lights to help control the flow of traffic.
The demolition of the physical toll plazas will begin the weekend of March 14, starting with the Macdonald Bridge. This work will require the bridge to be closed for two consecutive weekends.
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“When the toll plazas are removed, it’ll look like any other street in the city. There’s no more jockeying for a particular lane, there’s no more anybody searching for toll … for coins in their pocket,” said Steve Proctor, information officer with Halifax Harbour Bridges.
Following the Macdonald Bridge, construction will begin on the MacKay Bridge.
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However, Proctor noted that the design work for the MacKay Bridge is still in progress. “Everybody’s going to go through the right and that will allow us the opportunity to start demolishing in the middle,” Proctor explained.
As work continues, one key change is the temporary closure of the Princess Margaret Boulevard on-ramp to the MacKay Bridge for six weeks, starting March 16.
This will affect drivers using the on-ramp while demolition work is underway.
Ahsan Habib, a transportation expert with Dalhousie University, sees the toll removal as a step forward but emphasizes the need for proper traffic management.
“The purpose is to make better use of that infrastructure, which is very important for us. So, we need to make sure we have a plan in place,” he said.
Despite potential concerns about traffic flow, Proctor said Halifax Harbour Bridges is focused on safety. “Certainly, there’s concerns about speed. And that’s why we have an enforcement plan to remind people that just cause the tolls are gone, the rules are still the same,” he said.
With toll removal approaching, MacPass account holders are encouraged to log into their accounts and update their credit card information to ensure they receive refunds for any unused funds.