Highway 102 Upgrades (Bi-Hi Expansion) | Proposed

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Traffic Solutions, Safety Improvements for Major Highways



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Quick Facts:

• the new Hammonds Plains-Highway 101 link will be about five kilometres long
• Highway 101 near Lower Sackville averages about 44,000 vehicles per day, while Highway 102 near Bedford sees more than 52,000 vehicles per day
• the Joint Regional Transportation Agency was created in the fall of 2021 and has six core partners

People who travel between Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), the Annapolis Valley and Truro and also between dozens of HRM communities can expect changes in the coming years that will provide solutions designed to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety.

The Province has identified the need for a new strategic link between Hammonds Plains Road near Sandy Lake and Exit 2 on Highway 101 and will be initiating the planning process. Increasing the capacity of Highway 102 and assessing options and routes for light rail are also being evaluated.

“Our province is experiencing significant growth, and this investment in Highway 102 is the largest upgrade ever for a provincial highway in HRM,” said Premier Tim Houston. “People need to know they can get where they need to go efficiently. By creating new options and enhancing the ones we have, we have the opportunity to improve the commutes of hundreds of thousands of Nova Scotians every single day.”

The Hammonds Plains to Highway 101 connector would give motorists a new option. This would help reduce congestion on several surrounding roads, including Hammonds Plains Road, and create another way out of several neighbourhoods in an emergency. Transit routes could also be created or adapted in the area.

Upgrades are being planned for the interchange where highways 101 and 102 meet near Bedford. On Highway 102, Exit 2 at Kearney Lake Road and Exit 3 at Hammonds Plains Road will also be upgraded to improve efficiency and safety.

Efforts to add capacity to Highway 102 will be examined through planning work underway between the Joint Regional Transportation Agency and the Department of Public Works. This expansion would help with the movement of people and goods between Exit 0 at Joseph Howe Drive and Exit 4 at Duke Street in Bedford.

Public Works will lead the projects over the next 10 years. Traffic and environmental studies, land acquisitions, consultations, cost estimates and detailed design work will be required before construction can begin. The Department will also look for opportunities to partner with the federal government and apply for funding.

The agency will also support work on a light-rail feasibility study and corridor assessment in its regional transportation plan, which is due to the government at the end of November.

https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/1...major-highways

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More details:

[MonctonRad]

Finally.

Whatever happened to the proposal for a connector between the 102 and the 103 by Hammonds Plains? Wasn't that supposed to be another 100 series highway?

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Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Finally.

Whatever happened to the proposal for a connector between the 102 and the 103 by Hammonds Plains? Wasn't that supposed to be another 100 series highway?

Yep, finally.

I believe Highway 113 is still proposed and the land is reserved. Fixing the 102 from Exit 0 (Bayers road to the Burnside Expressway (HWY 107)) first though has to be the priority.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by q12

Fixing the 102 from Exit 0 (Bayers road to the Burnside Expressway (HWY 107)) first though has to be the priority.

Yep, during rush hour the traffic is reaching capacity limits. It seems like there is an accident on that stretch of highway every other day. What was great in the 1960s is just not enough today.

Also... LRT!

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Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Yep, during rush hour the traffic is reaching capacity limits. It seems like there is an accident on that stretch of highway every other day. What was great in the 1960s is just not enough today.

Also... LRT!

More like an accident every day.

This was yesterday, multiple accidents causing back ups over 6 km.





https://twitter.com/Surge105/status/1849537001219031438

[terrynorthend]

AllNS added editorial detail that the 102 expansion would be from 4 to 6 lanes. I was hoping in the back of my mind they would go to 8 lanes, reserving one each way for BRT/LRT.
Potentially the upcoming report will talk about LRT feasibility along this corridor. Not sure how stops would work and how easy they would be to get to.

[ButterNutPecan]

One more lane! One more Lane! One more lane!

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Originally Posted by ButterNutPecan

One more lane! One more Lane! One more lane!

Yeah it needs more lanes and modern upgrades for safety. The highway was built in 1958. Most the Bi-Hi was not built to modern freeway standards.

Traffic bottlenecks between Dunbrack and the Joe Howe Exit 0 (1958 design) need to be fixed. This causes accidents in the morning making the Bi-Hi a dangerous morning (and afternoon) commute.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by ButterNutPecan

One more lane! One more Lane! One more lane!

Absolutely! Increasing traffic (due to unprecedented population growth), and dangerous over-capacity issues that show out the inadequacy of outdated designs necessitate adding capacity and correcting poor designs. One more lane would be good, two more would be better. Until we see a trend of usage decreasing, hopefully from the implementation of efficient and welcoming transit, we can’t just rely upon overused tropes like adding more lanes makes more people drive. The people and their cars are already here, and they need to go places and do things, but the transit system is not up to the task, and bicycles, while great, do not reduce highway traffic.

It’s encouraging to me that the provincial government is actually recognizing the practical day to day problems that we are facing, and putting in some effort to deal with them. Whether it be a pre-election move or not, finally somebody is doing something.

[LikesBikes]

Making it easier to drive is just going to cause more people to drive, causing more traffic in an endless loop.

My experience of driving in HRM is traffic is worst when the highway or a major street meets to regular street grid (e.g., North Street, Bayers Road, Bedford Highway and Windmill Rd). I don't see how adding a few lanes makes a difference in these places (beyond rushing people to the standstill traffic jam quicker.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by q12

More like an accident every day.

This was yesterday, multiple accidents causing back ups over 6 km.


https://twitter.com/Surge105/status/1849537001219031438

I was originally going to say every day but thought that might be a little extreme, given that there are some days without incidents. Anecdotally there seems to be more days with, than without.

It’s a moot point, though, as one accident per week would be too much. These are the 100 series highways and as such the speeds involved make every accident a potential fatality. Something should have been done years ago, as the weak points and limitations have been obvious for a long time, but better late than never. If we want to be a big city, then we have to deal with big city issues, and while our municipal government has been slow to action in the past (they should have been lobbying the Province to improve their highway network around the busiest city in the province), at least the provincial government is stepping up to do the job.

[kamurai]

A 6 lane Bi-Hi between Sackville and Joe Howe is going to be a game changer for commuters, especially given the fact that the "slow lane" southbound between the 102/101 exchange is basically just a truck climbing lane during rush hour in the mornings/afternoon. It's hard to believe that this Highway was built in 1958 and hasn't had any meaningful upgrades to the existing infrastructure other than a handful of new interchanges since it was built.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by kamurai

A 6 lane Bi-Hi between Sackville and Joe Howe is going to be a game changer for commuters, especially given the fact that the "slow lane" southbound between the 102/101 exchange is basically just a truck climbing lane during rush hour in the mornings/afternoon. It's hard to believe that this Highway was built in 1958 and hasn't had any meaningful upgrades to the existing infrastructure other than a handful of new interchanges since it was built.

Well, it has, but what’s there now still follows the original roadbed. The Bi-Hi of the late 1950s was 2 lanes, one in each direction. That’s why there is an extra lane going up either side of the hill between Hammond Plains Rd and Bedford. The Bedford exit has not changed in all those years and neither has the overpass there. The main claim to fame of the original Bi-Hi was that it was a limited access highway with a 60mph limit.

The problem with it is that it was twinned on the cheap in the ‘70s with just a jersey barrier down the middle with no pullover or runoff space. That’s a big part of why a minor accident ties up traffic so badly. The only way to fix it would be to replicate it with a new roadbed and overpasses on one side or the other, which would be hugely expensive now.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by LikesBikes

Making it easier to drive is just going to cause more people to drive, causing more traffic in an endless loop.

Okey-dokey.

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Here is a look at what Kearney Lake Rd Exit 2 Interchange may look like, it also shows the six traffic lanes on the bi hi.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Okey-dokey.

I;m not surprised that somebody with a moniker like "LikesBikes" would be the clown prince of "induced demand."

"We shall never build another traffic lane in HRM - EVER!!!!!"

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I;m not surprised that somebody with a moniker like "LikesBikes" would be the clown prince of "induced demand."

"We shall never build another traffic lane in HRM - EVER!!!!!"

I bike and I'm a supporter of bike and bus lanes and getting people out of cars, but I realize extra traffic lanes will also be needed as the city grows.

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Originally Posted by Haliguy

I bike and I'm a supporter of bike and bus lanes and getting people out of cars, but I realize extra traffic lanes will also be needed as the city grows.

Well said.

Cites like Amsterdam still have the A10 Freeway around the city and yet people bike like crazy and use transit.

A10 Amsterdam Noord (Netherlands) by Perry Tak, on Flickr



Proper Bike Infrastructure, Transit System, and Freeway Capacity can all be built together.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Haliguy

I bike and I'm a supporter of bike and bus lanes and getting people out of cars, but I realize extra traffic lanes will also be needed as the city grows.

I'm the same. I don't currently bike (but I used to, including in Halifax, where I used my bike to travel to and from med school when I was there). As a senior citizen, I am seriously considering getting an E-bike next year. There is actually a well developed trail system here in Moncton that I am anxious to explore. I created the Active Transportation thread in the Moncton section.

So, I support active transportation initiatives, but, one has to be reasonable, and, one needs to avoid hoisting oneself on the "induced demand" petard. You cannot be a zealot. We need enough traffic lanes to ensure that commerce is not impeded and, that commuters can predictably get to where they need to go in a reasonable period of time.

This Houston proposal for the 102 is one that should be supported.