Tolls to be removed from Halifax bridges 2 weeks early

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 06, 2025 12:13 PM EST | Last Updated: March 6

Tolls connected Halifax's 2 harbour bridges are acceptable to travel disconnected 2 weeks up of schedule.

A quality merchandise from the provincial authorities says the Angus L. Macdonald and A. Murray MacKay bridges volition halt collecting tolls arsenic of 5 a.m. connected March 17.

"This is large quality for commuters, and we're arrogant that we're delivering connected our predetermination committedness of removing the tolls," Public Works Minister Fred Tilley said successful the statement.

"It's 1 little interest to wage erstwhile getting wherever you request to go, and much wealth backmost successful the pockets of Nova Scotians."

Removal of the toll plazas volition statesman this month, with enactment starting astatine the Macdonald Bridge first, opening connected March 14. Work astatine the MacKay volition follow and volition spill into mid-April.

At Province House connected Thursday, Tilley said removing the toll plazas is simply a large job, and truthful it was decided the tolls would beryllium removed arsenic the plazas travel down connected the Macdonald Bridge.

"It's successful safety. We privation the toll booths down truthful that erstwhile radical are going done areas, it's intelligibly marked, they cognize the mode that they person to spell through," helium said.

The modulation to free-flowing postulation besides includes removing factual barriers and electrical equipment, resurfacing roadways and reconfiguring lanes.

Public Works has posted a video explaining however postulation volition travel connected the Dartmouth broadside of the Macdonald Bridge.

Tolls have been successful spot since the opening of the Macdonald Bridge 70 years ago.

Halifax Harbour Bridges brought in about $36 cardinal successful toll revenue in 2024.

The state is spending $15 cardinal this twelvemonth for an operating assistance to the span commission, which volition go a caller Crown corporation, and $86 cardinal for superior repairs.

The Nova Scotia government is besides making a one-time summation of $300 cardinal to the provincial indebtedness to relationship for taking implicit work for the bridges.

More than 200,000 Nova Scotians person MacPass accounts — the strategy utilized to wage tolls done a transponder — and balances volition beryllium refunded successful the coming weeks.

MacPass Plus is no longer an enactment to wage for parking astatine Halifax Stanfield International Airport.