Major changes are coming for one of the busiest intersections in Halifax.
Council approved a redevelopment for the Windsor Street Exchange, Tuesday, but with amendments.
The new design has the purpose to improve traffic flow, including a lane for vehicles to move freely between the Bedford Highway and The MacKay.
However, council has concerns about things like the lack of bus and bike lanes and recommend changes to the current design.
Councillor Pam Lovelace said, while we move to increase population, we also need to move transit to make it more available, and to move it frequently so it’s not behind congestion.
“While we look at the vehicle capacity of this space and of these corridors, I don’t know if we have done a good enough job to improve efficiency.”
The project will still move ahead with council feeling pressure to get it going, in order to keep federal funding.
It is currently under Ottawa’s National Trade Corridor fund, with a deadline for this year.
City staff plan to ask for an extension.
The bottleneck area right now, according to the staff report, has between 90,000 and 110,000 vehicles move through every day.
Work is expected to start in spring 2025.
