Adaptive traffic lights coming for Macdonald Bridge corridor to improve congestion – Halifax

Commuters who use the Macdonald Bridge between Halifax and Dartmouth will soon notice an upgrade to traffic signals that should hopefully improve congestion.

The technology uses adaptive camera signals to sense traffic volumes and change traffic lights accordingly.

For Nova Scotia’s public works minister, it’s all about getting traffic on and off the bridge faster.

“This may seem like a small step, but big projects always start small,” said Minister Fred Tilley.

The provincial government is contributing $700,000 to the new traffic lights at key intersections along the Macdonald Bridge corridor, reaching from the intersection of North and Oxford streets to Nantucket Avenue and Victoria Road.

Halifax Regional Municipality will lead the installation, implementation, and ongoing monitoring of the upgrades.

“Looking at our current system, where it stands now, improvements we can make to that added together with the future major projects (…) will make a big difference,” said Tilley.

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The technology should improve travel times and mitigate congestion during rush-hour periods.

Justin Tanner, planning and partnerships executive director with Link Nova Scotia, says when all the signals work together, it should reduce commute times.

“There’s the cumulative benefit of all the signals on the corridor. So if it may be just five seconds on one intersection, it could be more on another,” he said.

“And when you add that up over an entire corridor, we’re hoping to see pretty good benefits.”

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Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore said he’s supportive of the project, adding in a statement this is a step in the right direction for tackling congestion in HRM.

“Projects like this are a practical way to improve traffic flow and reliability by making better use of the infrastructure and transportation system we already have,” he said.

“Not every improvement requires years of construction or major disruption — some of the most effective changes come from using smarter tools and better coordination.”

The equipment is expected to be installed this summer.

“Then we’ll move into a period where the system will start to collect data. And once it builds up that database, then the adaptive aspect will be switched on in the late fall,” said Roddy MacIntyre, HRM’s traffic authority director.

“And that will give us a good before and after (comparison).”

The pilot only focuses on the Macdonald Bridge corridor, but other arterial roads will be included in future upgrades.

The province has already budgeted $1 million in 2026-27 for future corridors, including Barrington Street.

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