The government has officially taken the first step to create a plan to replace part of the aging MacKay Bridge, but the opposition is worried this is a sign of a delay.
They put out a tender last week for companies to bid on conducting a rehab study, which will show the government how to maintain the approach spans. That is the part of the road from the land to the first section of the bridge held up by the supports in the water.
The successful bid will create a plan to preserve the approach spans in the medium-term, about 20 years, and how it should be replaced or rehabilitated in the long-term, about 75 years, according to the tender document.
The bridge opened in 1970, and according to multiple reports, it must be repaired or replaced by 2040.
“The approaches are just as important from a safety perspective as the bridge. It is standard engineering practice to do this kind of evaluation for the medium and long-term,” wrote a spokesperson for Link Nova Scotia and Halifax Harbour Bridges.
This is only a part of the government’s approach to that necessary replacement, but on the way, they say the MacKay Bridge will continue “to be evaluated and maintained to ensure safety.”
Meanwhile, NDP leader Claudia Chender says this tender raises questions of whether the government is “delaying their decision on replacing the bridge.”
“The decisions we make about the MacKay Bridge today will shape how people move around our city for generations,” wrote Chender in a statement.
She adds, “This is one of the biggest infrastructure projects facing our province, and we need a plan that works to improve traffic congestion and support better public transportation.”
