Aggressive 10-year maintenance and renewal plan get green light
March 31, 2022 - Ten Year Plan Document
An October 2021 Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (NSURB) decision approving the first HHB toll increase in a decade also marked the start of the organization’s most aggressive maintenance and capital program since the Big Lift.
The increase, which took effect Jan 3, 2022, saw the price for a passenger vehicle using MACPASS increase to $1 from 80 cents. The cost for a passenger vehicle using cash went to $1.25 from $1. Commercial vehicles saw an increase of 25 per cent per axel.
With the approval of a toll increase, the NSURB acknowledged the 10-year, $285 million maintenance and capital program at the heart of the toll increase submission was reasonable to keep the MacKay and Macdonald bridges operating safely and at peak efficiency.
The plan includes steel repair and painting, span bearings and pier rehabilitation, dehumidification of the MacKay Bridge main cable, resurfacing and deck repairs, fatigue repairs and associated component replacement. The plan also includes funding to support the exploration of the future of the MacKay Bridge.
Details about the specific projects that will be carried out as part of the 10-year plan can be found by clicking the Ten Year Plan cover photo.