Halifax issues tender to design Bayers Road widening project
Construction costs estimated at $4.8M, not including cost to acquire some properties along Bayers Road
Halifax is seeking an engineering company to design the widening of Bayers Road, a long-anticipated project that will include two bus lanes and a new walking and biking path.
The municipality issued a tender Tuesday to begin the work of reshaping one of the busiest traffic arteries onto the peninsula.
Earlier this year, municipal staff whittled down a series of options to one approved by regional council that will see eastbound and westbound dedicated bus lanes running from Romans Avenue to Windsor Street.
The intersection at the Halifax Shopping Centre will also be reconfigured. On-street parking between Connaught Avenue and Windsor will be eliminated.
Construction costs have been estimated at $4.8 million, not including property acquisition, according to a municipal report from January. It's hoped the widening can be completed by the fall of 2020, however municipal officials have warned there could be delays.
"The construction timeline and budget is uncertain as the design has not yet been finalized, however, it is expected that construction could take one construction season, once it has begun," municipal spokesperson Erin DiCarlo said in an email.
The largest problem could be acquiring property so there is room to add the bus lanes and to build a multi-use pathway between Romans Avenue and the Halifax Shopping Centre.
Bayers Road is one of the busiest routes accessing the peninsula and sees between 15,000 and 45,000 vehicles per day.
Bids on the design work are due April 24, with preliminary plans including cost estimates due in July. More detailed designs, specifications and cost estimates should be submitted in September.
It's not clear how the city will alleviate the traffic problems that will be caused by the construction work.
Congestion came into sharp focus this past summer and fall when another main artery into the peninsula, St. Margarets Road, was closed to commuters due to prolonged work to replace old water lines.
For four months, Bayers Road saw even more traffic, creating headaches for commuters heading onto and off the peninsula.
With files from Richard Cuthbertson