The federal government is spending $28 million on the ongoing Windsor Street Exchange Redevelopment Project to improve the wastewater collection system in the area. The entire project, which is expected to cost around $180 million, includes the creation of an overpass to connect Bayne Street and Lady Hammond Road, roadway realignment, sidewalk replacement, and new multi-use paths. “The Prime Minister I and saw that that was a great need here, and I was happy to be able to announce 40 per cent [of the wastewater project], $28 million,” says Halifax West MP Lena Metledge Diab. As part of phase two of the project, Halifax Water got approval to replace a section of the combined sewer on Kempt Road to support wastewater collection capacity in the area. “When roads are congested, water systems are strained, and communities can’t grow, productivity drops and costs rise,” a news release from the federal government reads. “These investments will boost economic activity, create good-paying careers in the skilled trades, and give businesses and investors the confidence to build. The right infrastructure is essential to unlocking more housing, supporting affordability, and building strong communities.” The Halifax regional municipality worked in collaboration with the Halifax Water Commission, and Minister Diab says this was one of their prime focus areas for infrastructure. Halifax Water GM and CEO Kenda MacKenzie is preparing for any special circumstances that might come up with this project. “The team has done asset condition assessment in advance of the project; those get factored into the design and the constructability,” she says. MacKenzie says the project will provide additional capacity for the anticipated growth in the area, “as well as just general good management practises in renewing the assets to get out in front of any future failures.” This investment in the water and transportation infrastructure is critical to being able to accommodate that growth, according to Halifax mayor Andy Fillmore. The federal money for the Windsor Street project comes from the Build Communities Strong Fund, which will provide $51 billion over 10 years to support infrastructure projects across Canada. Due to the ongoing construction work, the ramp connecting Massachusetts Avenue to Highway 111 toward the MacKay Bridge will be closed until the end of 2027. The municipality previously said 48,000 vehicles go through the Windsor Street intersection per day. “With the federal government’s renewed investment in defence infrastructure here in Halifax, there’s going to be more and more people and families connected to defence and security, living and working in Halifax, and we need to have places for them to live,” says the mayor. “At the end of the day, we can only grow as fast as the underlying infrastructure allows us to do, so these investments in Halifax Water, wastewater, storm water, infrastructure is absolutely important.” With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
