Halifax MacKay Bridge Upgrade Could Cost Up to $3 Billion
Halifax Harbour Bridges CEO Tony Wright announced that upgrading or replacing the aging A. Murray MacKay Bridge may cost up to $3 billion, with financing options including public-private partnerships or full privatization.
The potential cost to upgrade or replace Halifax’s A. Murray MacKay Bridge could reach up to $3 billion, according to Tony Wright, CEO of Halifax Harbour Bridges. The bridge, which opened in 1970, requires significant enhancements to remain operational.
Two primary alternatives are currently under consideration: a full replacement of the existing structure or the construction of a tunnel connecting the Windsor Street exchange and Burnside. Earlier this year, the province solicited proposals covering crossing options, preliminary designs, cost estimates, procurement methods, and funding strategies.
Historically, harbour bridge projects were funded largely through tolls, but the province removed these charges last year. This change eliminates a traditional revenue source for maintenance. To address financing gaps, the project was listed at the Canada Investment Summit with a capital expenditure estimate of $3 billion, signaling interest in private investment models.
Public Works Minister Fred Tilley clarified that if private capital is involved, returns would not come from tolls. Instead, alternative mechanisms such as land trades or design-build models might be used. Meanwhile, Moshe Lander, a senior economics lecturer at Concordia University, advocated for full privatization—selling the bridge to the highest bidder—as a way to shift future maintenance costs off the provincial budget. He cited the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit and Windsor and is owned by the Moroun family, as a precedent for privately owned, for-profit infrastructure.
A final decision on the plan and its financing model is expected within the next 18 months.