Maintenance work closes Halifax's MacKay Bridge this weekend

Maintenance work closes MacKay Bridge this weekend Halifax’s MacKay Bridge is scheduled to close this weekend while engineers and maintenance crews complete routine work and inspections.

The MacKay Bridge is scheduled to be closed this weekend while engineers and maintenance crews complete routine work and inspections on the aging bridge.

The bridge that was first opened in 1970 will be closed this Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

"It's an opportunity where you can get a number of teams in at one time to do all the work that you can't get done throughout the year,” said Steven Proctor, spokesperson for Halifax Harbour Bridges.

The closure can put pressure on traffic, Proctor said, but traffic volume is expected to be lighter on the weekend compared to weekdays.

Proctor said structural engineers will be inspecting the bridge from top to bottom and crews will lay asphalt and paint new road lines.

“It’s to get all those things done at one time so that we don't have to close it because of an accident or some emergency situation that is a result of failure to maintain (the bridge),” he said.

Next weekend closures will impact the Macdonald Bridge for similar maintenance and inspection work.

“We appreciate Halifax drivers’ patience, but unfortunately as the bridges continue to age, more closures are inevitable,” Halifax Harbour Bridges CEO Tony Wright said.

“We have a busy construction season ahead and we’re trying to do as much work as possible at the times when it is least disruptive, but there will be times when people’s travel plans will be disrupted,” Wright said.

It’s not yet clear when future construction dates on the bridges will take place.

"With things like supply chain and skilled (labour) shortages, we aren't 100 per cent sure,” Proctor said. “But we are going to be giving the public as much time as we can."

The life expectancy of the MacKay Bridge is set to expire in 2040 and Halifax Harbour Bridges is examining ways to extend the life of both suspension bridges.

The Robie Street off-ramp that connects to the MacKay Bridge is currently under construction and will be closed Thursday from 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. and will close again this weekend beginning Friday at 7 p.m.. It is set to reopen Monday morning at 5:30 a.m.

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