Decades worth of paint to be stripped off Macdonald Bridge towers

Halifax Harbour Bridges will soon begin the process of removing seven decades of paint from the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge's two towers as part of a two-year project to safeguard its steel infrastructure.

A news release Monday said the work, dubbed Project LifeSpan, will involve stripping the towers bare of accumulated paint to allow for "thorough inspections and any required repairs to ensure their structural integrity for the next 70 years." 

The towers will be wrapped in a protective enclosure to prevent paint chips, spray and debris from falling into the harbour or onto the bridge or nearby properties while painters and steelworkers are working, Steve Proctor, a spokesperson for Halifax Harbour Bridges, told CBC News in a telephone interview.

The Dartmouth tower will be finished this year and the Halifax tower is expected to be completed in 2026.

The project will require four weekend closures of the Macdonald Bridge — also known as the Old Bridge — this year for the construction and removal of a platform that will separate the work area from traffic on the bridge deck, the news release said.

Upcoming weekend closures

The first closure will begin Friday, April 25, at 7 p.m. Proctor anticipates the second closure will be in May, depending on how the first proceeds. The other two will likely be in November and December, he said.

Halifax Harbour Bridges says the A. Murray MacKay Bridge will always be open when the Macdonald is closed.

Proctor said other parts of the Macdonald Bridge have had paint previously stripped off, but it will be the first time for the towers since the span opened in 1955.

Given the salt water conditions and years of layering paint in spot touch-ups and small repairs, "there's bound to be moisture underneath there so there definitely will be some corrosion that they're going to have to look after," Proctor said.

The two-year project is valued at about $70 million and 95 per cent of supplies will be bought in Nova Scotia, Halifax Harbour Bridges said.

Price tag includes both years, paint and repairs

Proctor said the $70 million includes both years of the project, the repairs and the new paint.

He said the project has been in the works for three years.

Liberty Blastech, a Nova Scotia joint venture company formed last November with roots in the United States, was selected to do the work.

Under the Nova Scotia Registry of Joint Stock Companies, Emanouel Frangos, president of Ohio-based Liberty Manufacturing Inc., and John Korfiatis, president of Maryland-based Blastech Enterprises, are both listed as directors.

In a followup interview with CBC on Tuesday, Proctor said although the company does have an American connection, the intention is to train and hire Nova Scotia painters to do the bulk of the work. 

"They are two American companies that came together to create this joint venture," he said. "They want to use this as an opportunity to create business for themselves across Canada."

He said a Canadian firm did issue a bid for the tender but an independent review panel found the firm's bid did not meet expectations for the project.

The deal was also finalized before the recent trade war between Canada and the United States, said Proctor.

"There's no Canadian companies capable of quarterbacking this job," he said. "This is a job that requires specialized skills."

Halifax Harbour Bridges notes the company's partners "have extensive experience painting bridges."

From 80 to 100 people are expected to work on the project, said Proctor, estimating that around 70 per cent of them will be from Nova Scotia.

Keeping eyes on the road

More than 40,000 cars, small trucks and buses cross the Macdonald Bridge daily.

While the work is being undertaken, Halifax Harbour Bridges is urging people to drive carefully.

"Because while it will be an intriguing situation to see dozens of people climbing up the tower, you have to pay attention to your driving," Proctor said.