![]() But part of the toll increase will pay for planning and design work. Snider said that would be a billion-dollar project. ![]() Murray MacKay bridges without stopping and at a less expensive rate than using cash, making it the best way to cross the harbour. MACPASS allows users to pass through the toll lanes of the Angus L. "It's routine work, but there's more and more of it as the bridges age," said Snider.Ī new study suggests the deck system of the MacKay will reach the end of its life by 2040.Įngineers recommend building a completely new six-lane bridge, with pedestrian and bike lanes. The MACPASS 7 is the electronic tolling system of Halifax Harbour Bridges (HHB). That work includes repairs on the steel parts of the Macdonald and dehumidification of the cables on the MacKay. He said Big Lift project, which involved replacing the deck of the Macdonald Bridge, cost more than $200 million.Īnother $280 million is needed for capital projects on both the Macdonald and the MacKay Bridge, according to Snider. Instructions state that it should be mounted below the rear view mirror, but I’d rather not stick it right in the middle of the windshield for the 1-2 times a month I cross the bridge. "This is the first increase in a decade," Steve Snider, general manager of the bridge commission, said Monday. MacPass Sticker Mounting Location Received my new MacPass sticker in the mail this week. Anyone using cash will have to pay $1.25, up from a dollar. Officials with the Halifax Harbour Bridges said the hike, which was approved by the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, will mean a passenger vehicle using a Macpass will pay a dollar instead of 80 cents. But it's also our responsibility to be accountable to the public."Ī public hearing into the toll increases has not yet been scheduled.The cost of using a bridge to cross the Halifax harbour will increase as of Jan. The MACPASS itself is free, convenient, and comes with a discount over paying toll fees with cash. "It's our responsibility to look after and maintain these bridges. MACPASS is Halifax Harbour Bridges’ electronic tolling system that allows drivers to pass through the tolls of the Angus L. There is an aftermarket touchscreen entertainment system installed with Apple Car Play and Android Auto (wired connection), plus Bluetooth for wireless. Almost every other morning on the way into Halifax the sensor wont register my pass, i even hold it out the window sometimes, its gotten to the point where i save myself 1 most mornings by knocking the swing arm over. "It's healthy for us as a community to have a discussion, and ask us for answers to the questions," he said. Halifax Harbour Bridges switching up Macpass toll system The operators of the Macdonald and Mackay bridges are planning to replace the Macpass with a windshield sticker a change that could. Snider said he welcomes all public scrutiny the increases may receive. A friendly reminder that MacPass has no fee (if you use it once a year), can be mailed to you at no extra charge, and prevents you from being the person holding up everyone else You can even load it from a debit card if it has Visa's virtual debit. The commission's application submitted to the utility and review board has detailed cost estimates for each of these projects. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada - July 01 2022: MAC PASS Transponder Sticker. Those projects include concrete and steel repairs to both bridges, resurfacing and possibly replacing decking on the MacKay bridge, repairing overpasses leading to the bridges, replacing the Macpass scanning system, and a preliminary design for a replacement for the MacKay Bridge. Plus, explore over 11 million high-quality video and footage clips in every. Without the toll increases, he estimates the commission would face a $150-million shortfall due to the costs of long-term repairs. Snider says Halifax Harbour Bridges collects roughly $33 million in tolls in a regular year. ![]() This is the first time Halifax Harbour Bridges, a self-funding provincial commission, has asked to raise tolls on the Macdonald and MacKay bridges in a decade.īridge improvements and maintenance are forecast to cost $280 million over the next decade. If approved by the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, the increases would take effect in January 2022. "I don't like paying more for anything, so I can understand people's frustration and challenge," said Steven Snider, general manager and CEO of Halifax Harbour Bridges.Ĭommercial vehicles would pay an additional 25 per cent per axle for both cash and Macpass under the proposal. Halifax Harbour Bridges is requesting toll increases for its two spans across the harbour.Ĭash tolls for cars would increase to $1.25 per crossing from $1, while drivers with a Macpass would be charged $1 per crossing, up from 80 cents. ![]()
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