Port of Halifax, Windsor St Exchange upgrades

[Spitfire75]

With the new inland container port planned for Truro, the plan is to close Halterm to truck traffic and have all containers go by rail to Fairview terminal. From there the containers can leave Fairview via truck to go local or go by rail to Truro for out of province or other parts of NS. This will reduce truck traffic downtown significantly.

[q12]

https://scotiaport.com/

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by q12

https://scotiaport.com/

Certainly the main thing that website shows is that they spent all their development money so far on 4 pretty pictures and not a whole lot of details. Some of it might actually make sense conceptually though it might be more sensible to construct the container transshipment facility locally.

[Dmajackson]

The 30% plan for Windsor Street Exchange are going to Regional Council next week.

Regional Council Agenda - June 18, 2024 Agenda (see item 15.1.7)

I think overall this plan works but it would be nice to see better transit priority improvements included. There is a transit lane inbound shown from Joseph Howe to Lady Hammond which will help the inbound express routes and #93. There isn't any dedicated improvements outbound or anything that will help #8 which is one of the busiest and least reliable corridor routes.

[Keith P.]

Uh-oh, the cycling activists are throwing a tantrum!

https://globalnews.ca/news/10573802/...hange-project/

[Antigonish]

I saw a clip yesterday on Councilman Cleary chewing out a HRM planner about the design concepts and budget overrun; the planner seemed completely out of his depth. It doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence the city will get this right, but the cyclist crowd are correct about the design framework. There is already a bikeway plan developed for the near future regarding the Bedford Highway. If they screw this up it completely nukes all the work that's been done for the Bedford Highway project. That can't happen.

[Keith P.]

The thing I do not understand about this is that the city went to great lengths to stop the use of Dartmouth Cove for proper disposal of the pyritic slate rock that is generated by large construction projects around here. Fine, I don't think that is the best place for it either. But instead, why not create a new ROW using it along the shoreline outside of the CN ROW along the Bedford Basin shoreline? It could be used for transit and for a bike route if so inclined.

[IanWatson]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

But instead, why not create a new ROW using it along the shoreline outside of the CN ROW along the Bedford Basin shoreline? It could be used for transit and for a bike route if so inclined.

That would be pretty amazing. Bike route + BRT or even light rail.

I think to-date all of the infill has been done in pre-confederation water lots, so I'm assuming it's easier to get approval for that than in water that's federally owned? That being said, it looks like there are water lots all the way from Hemlock Ravine Park to Mill Cove.

[Summerville]

Originally Posted by IanWatson

That would be pretty amazing. Bike route + BRT or even light rail.

I think to-date all of the infill has been done in pre-confederation water lots, so I'm assuming it's easier to get approval for that than in water that's federally owned? That being said, it looks like there are water lots all the way from Hemlock Ravine Park to Mill Cove.

it would be huge...I consider it every time I drive the Bedford Highway. There is unused land along side the tracks so they probably wouldn't have to infill all along the shore.

[OldDartmouthMark]

It’s a great idea, thinking outside the box to create transit and biking options that would be vastly superior to what is there now.

Currently the bike lanes along the Bedford highway are horrendous, borderline dangerous, given that they are just painted lines along a busy thoroughfare. They are shared with pedestrians, and I’ve seen vehicles driving on them more than once, seemingly unaware that they are driving IN cycling lanes. This needs to change, and a new ROW, completely separated from vehicle traffic would be just the ticket.

The improvements offered by a dedicated transit ROW would be huge as well. Dare to dream of future LRT, though I’m skeptical that I will see it in my lifetime.

This would be a fairly ambitious plan, but not crazy ambitious like the rail cut that was built in the early 1900s. It would be nice if somebody from council would read this thread and raise it as a topic for discussion.

[Dmajackson]

Dexter Construction has been awarded the Phase 1 package for this project. They're expecting to have the 30% design plans done in Spring 2025. Construction might begin in 2025.

I'm interested in seeing how they are going to phase the construction. The MacKay Bridge is Halifax's most critical piece of traffic infrastructure and any delay/incident at this intersection can cause delays all the way back into Dartmouth.

[IanWatson]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

Dexter Construction has been awarded the Phase 1 package for this project. They're expecting to have the 30% design plans done in Spring 2025. Construction might begin in 2025.

I'm interested in seeing how they are going to phase the construction. The MacKay Bridge is Halifax's most critical piece of traffic infrastructure and any delay/incident at this intersection can cause delays all the way back into Dartmouth.

As much of this project very much needs to happen, part of me wishes they'd wait until Cogswell is done at the end of 2025.

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by IanWatson

As much of this project very much needs to happen, part of me wishes they'd wait until Cogswell is done at the end of 2025.

I don't see being much of problem as the main traffic arteries though the Cogswell will be done by then.

[Keith P.]

Another stumble: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-...ange-1.7444200

[Drybrain]

I agree with the decision in the main: it makes no sense to spend such a huge sum of money on what is arguably the most important transportation node in the province if it's not going to be good enough, if it's going to leave transit vehicles stuck in, and contributing to, congestion in mixed traffic. I suppose what I'm not understanding is why there isn't an immediate request to go back and redesign it now, rather than kick it indefinitely down the road.

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

I agree with the decision in the main: it makes no sense to spend such a huge sum of money on what is arguably the most important transportation node in the province if it's not going to be good enough, if it's going to leave transit vehicles stuck in, and contributing to, congestion in mixed traffic. I suppose what I'm not understanding is why there isn't an immediate request to go back and redesign it now, rather than kick it indefinitely down the road.

And, mean while traffic gets worse and worse. What I don't understand is why they sat on this for so long. Wasn't the federal funding announced for this in 2019?

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by Haliguy

And, mean while traffic gets worse and worse. What I don't understand is why they sat on this for so long. Wasn't the federal funding announced for this in 2019?

With this and the maybe-we-just-won't-tell-you-what-the-JRTA-report said, it feels like all our growing pains aside, there's still just no urgency within government to actually get infrastructure underway. Are we any better or faster at building things now than we were? It feels like a minor miracle Cogswell is actually happening (and is on time/under budget no less).

[Dartguard]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

With this and the maybe-we-just-won't-tell-you-what-the-JRTA-report said, it feels like all our growing pains aside, there's still just no urgency within government to actually get infrastructure underway. Are we any better or faster at building things now than we were? It feels like a minor miracle Cogswell is actually happening (and is on time/under budget no less).

Perhaps that minor miracle is a reflection of the Municipal group of companies.
They do a great job on the Highway systems throughout the region. Hand them the problem and get out of the way.