Angus L. Macdonald Bridge
Angus L. Macdonald Bridge | |
|---|---|
| File:Macdonald bridge.JPG The Macdonald Bridge in May 2006. The North End can be seen in the background. | |
| Coordinates | 44°39′48″N 63°35′06″W / 44.6633°N 63.585°W |
| Carries | Motor vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles |
| Crosses | Halifax Harbour |
| Locale | Halifax Regional Municipality (Halifax, – Dartmouth) |
| Other name(s) | Macdonald Bridge |
| Maintained by | Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Suspension bridge |
| Total length | 1.3 kilometres (0.81 mi) |
| Width | 11.5 metres (34.8 feet) |
| Height | 102.9 metres (337.69 feet) |
| Longest span | 441 metres |
| Clearance above | 54 metres (177.25 ft) at centre-span |
| Clearance below | 46.9 metres (153.87 ft) at centre-span |
| History | |
| Designer | Philip Louis Pratley Henry Hugh Lewis Pratley Charles Nicholas Monsarrat |
| Construction start | 1952 |
| Opened | April 2, 1955 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 37,739 (2005) |
| Toll | $1.00 CAD cash / $0.80 MACPASS |
| Location | |
 | |
The Angus L. Macdonald Bridge, known locally as "the old bridge", is a suspension bridge crossing Halifax Harbour in Nova Scotia, Canada; it opened on April 2, 1955.
The bridge is one of two suspension bridges currently linking the Halifax Peninsula to Dartmouth in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
It is named after the former premier of Nova Scotia, Angus L. Macdonald, who had died in 1954 and had been instrumental in having the bridge built. The bridge was designed by Philip Louis Pratley, one of Canada's foremost long-span bridge designers who had also been responsible for the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver [1]. The bridges have a similar design, which is most notable in the towers. The contractor was Dominion Bridge Company Ltd.
The bridge regularly experiences traffic congestion during rush hours as a result of the structure's proximity to the downtown cores of Halifax and Dartmouth, as well as its narrow width. Large commercial vehicles are not permitted to cross and must use the wider MacKay bridge to the north-west. Public transit buses are allowed to cross and the bridge links several Metro Transit routes. In 2005 the average number of vehicle crossings per day was 37,739.
Modernisation project
A modernisation project was undertaken in the late 1990s and completed in 1999 which saw the original 2 lanes and 1 sidewalk and utility corridor expanded to 3 lanes, with the centre lane being reversible to assist with traffic flow during peak periods.
To reduce the weight of the roadway, asphalt and concrete were removed and special steel plating (an orthotropic deck) was used in its place. New pedestrian and bicycle lanes were attached to the outside of the structure to replace the original sidewalks.
External aesthetic lights were added during the modernisation project which saw the bridge's towers lit for the first time on a continuous basis every evening from sunset until midnight. Critics derided the effort as a waste of electricity, given Halifax Harbour's frequent foggy weather conditions. The lighting was estimated by the bridge authority to cost in excess of $50,000 a year in 1999.
As of April 1, 2011, the toll charge to cross for regular passenger vehicles is $1.00 cash or $0.80 with the MACPASS electronic toll system (60¢ tokens were once used but are no longer accepted as of May 1, 2008).
The "Big Lift"
In 2015 another major renovation of the bridge started which will see the temporary removal of the pedway and bike lanes. Every piece of steel that makes up the suspended spans, except the towers and two main cables, are to be replaced; the non-suspended approach spans will remain. New vertical cables are required due to the relocation of the stiffening trusses from above deck level to below deck level. Construction will mostly occur overnight with the bridge open to traffic during the day, but several full-weekend closures will be necessary. After the Lion's Gate Bridge, this will be only the second time that a suspension bridge will have its suspended spans completely replaced while continuing to allow regular traffic flow during the daytime. Principle engineering work for the project is being done by the same firm that managed the similar project on the Lion's Gate Bridge.[1] The Bridge Commission plans to operate a free, 24-hour-a-day shuttle service during construction to accommodate the bridge's pedestrian and bicycle users. Halifax Transit is also operating a shuttle service; it goes over the MacDonald Bridge when it's open and over the MacKay Bridge when it's not. In addition, the agency has increased ferry service between the Alderney and Halifax terminals to a 15-minute interval until midnight. [2]
Suicide barrier controversy
The Angus L. Macdonald Bridge has attracted media attention as the spot where well known environmental activist Tooker Gomberg is believed to have committed suicide.
In July 2007, suicide barriers were installed along 22% of the pedestrian lane at the bridge's western end (Halifax abutment) to prevent suicide attempts and protect navy personnel at HMC Dockyard which the bridge crosses over. Initially, the Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission was concerned that the structure was not capable of handling the additional weight of installing suicide barriers along the entire span of the bridge. Subsequent computer modeling eliminated the previous concerns, and on May 13, 2009 the general manager and CEO of the Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission, Steve Snider, announced that a tender for the long-called for extension of the barriers along the full length of the bridge would be issued in June 2009. As of March 2010 the remaining sections of the suicide barrier have been installed, so that the bridge now has suicide barriers along 100% of its pedestrian walkways.
See also
- A. Murray MacKay Bridge – A newer suspension bridge crossing Halifax Harbour.
- Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission
Notes
- ^ Halifax Harbour Bridges "About The Big Lift", Retrieved on June 19, 2014
- ^ Halifax Transit "Alderney Ferry Schedule", Retrieved on June 28, 2015.
External links
- Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission information
- Angus L. Macdonald Bridge at Structurae
- Cherubini Group construction photos including deck fabrication and replacement
- MacPass Bridge Mile Running Race
- MarineTraffic