Halifax bridges prepare to remove tolls on April 1

The Halifax bridge commission is preparing for tolls to come off in less than two months, after the provincial government solidified its election promise this week.

Finance Minister John Lohr said Tuesday, when the 2025-26 budget was tabled, that tolls on the Angus L. Macdonald and A. Murray MacKay bridges would be removed as of April 1. 

Steve Proctor, spokesperson for Halifax Harbour Bridges, said the toll booths will still be there in April, but dedicated MacPass and cash-only lanes will be redesigned to let traffic flow freely.

"It's going to be a little different configuration. And we need people from a safety point of view to take time, take a minute, give everybody a chance to get used to the new way of doing that. We can't have huge speeds," Proctor said Tuesday.

"There are going to be changes when you get to the actual tolls — besides the fact you won't be paying for them."

Proctor said the bridges will also have increased enforcement to handle the expected spike in traffic.

Halifax Harbour Bridges brought in about $36 million in toll revenue in 2024.

The province is spending $15 million this year for an operating grant to the bridge commission, which will become a new Crown corporation, and $86 million for capital repairs.

Proctor said the capital funds are needed to cover projects on both bridges, including at least four closures on the MacKay this year to replace bearings and complete roadwork.

The Crown corporation change is largely a financial switch, Proctor said, meaning they won't collect revenues from drivers anymore but the board of commissioners made up of municipal councillors and provincial appointees will stay in place.

"We'll carry on business as usual," Proctor said.

Besides saving drivers money, removing the tolls will ease traffic congestion, Premier Tim Houston has said. That has been disputed by some experts.

Why some say the PCs pledge to axe bridge tolls won't have intended impact

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As Jean Laroche reports, some say the move to get rid of bridge tolls wouldn't save drivers much time. In fact, it could make congestion worse.

Coun. David Hendsbee, bridge commission board member, said he's unsure improvements could happen without changes to the roadways leading to the bridges. The city is not planning on any changes to either of the bridge approaches now that council scrapped a redesign of the Windsor Street exchange.

"The question will be is, if we get more traffic, where's it gonna go?" Hendsbee said.

He said the province must now ensure it funds the bridge commission properly each year to compensate for increased wear and tear of the bridges with any rise in traffic volumes.

The PC government must also start the process for replacing the MacKay Bridge, Hendsbee said, adding the structure has about 15 years of service left. He said it will take a long time to get the designs and engineering in place, as well as any required land acquisition.

The Nova Scotia government is also making a one-time addition of $300 million to the provincial debt to account for taking over responsibility for the bridges.