I'm surprised no one else posted this yet......
Personally I still think its a ridiculous idea.
What’ll it be: Bridge or tunnel?
Public not sold on need for third crossing
By KRISTEN LIPSCOMBE Staff Reporter
Thu. Nov 13 - 5:41 PM
Whether it’s another bridge or an underground tunnel, a third crossing could be needed to handle the traffic travelling across Halifax Harbour as early as 2016.
That’s what about 20 Haligonians who showed up at a community consultation at Cole Harbour Place heard Wednesday night from representatives with the Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission.
Click here for more information about Cross-Harbour Traffic Needs Assessment
Engineer Jon Eppell told the crowd a new bridge would likely span six lanes, including two for high-occupancy vehicles, and cost $1.1 billion. A tunnel, with a $1.4-billion price tag, would probably accommodate four lanes.
He said another bridge would include paths for bikers and walkers, but height for vessels passing underneath would be a concern. An underground tunnel, on the other hand, wouldn’t allow for recreational lanes.
If the province moves ahead with either option, Mr. Eppell said the best location for both would be to link Highway 111 in Woodside to the CN rail cut at the south-end Halifax container terminal.
But not all of the people in attendance seemed convinced that doling out big bucks to build something new is the best solution for growing concerns about traffic congestion in the downtown core.
"The current model that we’re working on as a society is not sustainable," said Bob Verge, who was the first to stand up and share his thoughts during the public meeting. "I suspect that over the next five, 10 years those assumptions that we’ve been living with are going to change.
"And what I see here is largely a projection forward of assumptions that were relevant to the past, but may not be relevant, or as relevant, in the future," he said.
The Cole Harbour resident suggested the commission is jumping to the conclusion that another bridge or tunnel is needed, "when, in fact, maybe the easiest solution is to eliminate some of the bottlenecks for the current facilities, like the toll booths."
Matt Duffy of Eastern Passage said he thinks Halifax Regional Municipality’s transportation system as a whole needs an overhaul, including a close look at the efficiency of the city’s buses and ferries.
But bridge commission representatives assured the audience they are open to other options and are taking transportation across the municipality into consideration. They said their findings are based on a needs assessment requested by city council in 2007 and subsequently carried out by independent consultants.
"The report outlines the significant transportation challenges facing HRM from now through 2036," the commission’s website says. "Traffic volumes will increase, even with the most optimistic targets in increased public transit use being achieved, to the point where there is an expected need for additional cross-harbour capacity."
Go to
www.thechronicleherald.ca to read more. Four more workshops are being held to garner public feedback, with the next one set for Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Dartmouth Sportsplex.
According to the commission, 32 million vehicles cross the A. Murray MacKay and Angus L. Macdonald bridges annually, up from 24 million in 1981.
(
klipscombe@herald.ca)