For the next two years, motorists heading onto Halifax’s peninsula along Bayers Road will have a decision to make on how to get around yet another construction project. “I think there will be disruptions, of course,” says Dalhousie University transportation professor, Ahsan Habib. Work to widen the stretch between Connaught Avenue and Windsor Street will begin next week which will close Bayers Road to inbound traffic, but outbound traffic will not be affected. “This section of Bayers Road will have a total of four lanes. Two of those on the inside will be for general traffic, one in each direction. On the curbside, there will be dedicated bus lanes,” says Jake Fulton, a public affairs advisor with the city. That will connect with bus lanes already in place on the other section of Bayers Road. Professor Ahsan Habib hopes the city continues to expand bus lanes. “It needs to extend it far beyond the current plan to connect to Scotia Square and the downtown core.” With 40,000 vehicles using Bayers Road everyday, residents on side streets are concerned about increased traffic through their neighbourhoods. “I don’t know what we can do. it would be nice if we had a couple of speed bumps,” says Connie Mason. City officials say they’re working with the contractor on a traffic plan that will hopefully keep vehicles off small streets. “We’re certainly trying to make sure that the vast majority of traffic follows the marked detour route that goes on the more major routes through the peninsula,” says Fulton. The project is costing a little more than $17.5 million dollars and coincides with major work being done on the Windsor Street exchange. As for the two-year timeline, Fulton says that’s because Halifax Water is also going to be doing upgrades while the road is being torn up which will cut down on future disruptions. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
