Council rejects Windsor Street exchange redevelopment plan

A project that would reconfigure one of the busiest intersections in Halifax was shut down by Halifax regional council on Tuesday, with some councillors saying the plan did not meet the HRM’s long-term active transit goals.

The 8-6 vote means the city will forgo more than $33 million in federal and provincial funding committed in 2019 that would have covered most of the $47-million cost. The projected cost of the Windsor Street exchange redevelopment project has now risen to $150 million.

During three hours of deliberation, some council members said the design didn’t move the city’s infrastructure in the right direction and approving the project now would have been a short-term solution.

 “I don’t think we’re ready. We don’t have the work done and we’re chasing dollars that don’t align,” said Coun. Sam Austin (District 5, Dartmouth Centre).  

The federal money would have come from a fund aimed at improving infrastructure on trade routes. The Windsor Street exchange is a major hub for traffic to and from Halifax’s two container terminals. The municipality saw the project as an opportunity to improve commercial traffic, active transit infrastructure and water mains. 

“If we’re going to build it, build it right,” said Coun. Jean St-Amand (District 16,  Bedford-Wentworth) at council.

Mayor Andy Filmore said he was disappointed by the decision.

“Staff presented a very clear and well-articulated case to move forward,” he said. “We’re back to the drawing board now.”

Coun, David Hendsbee (District 2, Lawrencetown) told journalists he will move to reverse council’s decision at a future meeting. Fillmore said he would support him.

Council endorsed the plan in June 2024 on condition the project team include additional aspects such as separated bike lanes, pedestrian crossings and designated bus lanes in all directions to support the future of the municipality’s rapid transit strategy.

The plan debated Tuesday did not include separated bike lanes and contained bus lanes in only one direction. Staff also said in at the meeting the plan did not account for implications of the provincial’s government’s 2024 election pledge to eliminate tolls on the municipality’s two bridges.

Project manager Megan Soroka said the proposal was “future proof,” meaning the design was planned with expansions, such as street-widening for additional transit options, in mind. Construction of the initial plan was estimated to begin this summer and take at least three years.

Fillmore said any construction in the area would have to be done in phases and the plan presented on Tuesday could have been phase one.

“We don’t need to wait for a perfect design with all the lanes that we need at this time,” he said to journalists after the decision. “We could move ahead with significant improvements today.”

According to a report by HRM staff, up to 110,000 cars pass through the area every day. It connects both the Bedford Highway and the MacKay Bridge to the peninsula, making it one of the busiest intersections in the province.