Extreme makeover: Macdonald Bridge to undergo ‘major’ 2-year revamp project

The Macdonald Bridge in Halifax is set to undergo a makeover that will span most of the next two years — resulting in several weekend closures throughout the process.

The work, dubbed “Project Lifespan,” will see seven decades of paint stripped off the bridge’s two towers.

Steven Proctor, a spokesperson for Halifax Harbour Bridges, said removing the accumulated paint will allow for preservation and repair work to be done in order to keep the iconic structure operating for another 50 years.

“They’ll wrap the tower in material so that none of the material that they chip off goes into the harbour, goes into traffic, goes under people’s cars,” Proctor said, adding that the bridge’s towers will have a different appearance once the project gets underway on April 25.

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“Within that thing it’ll be pressurized and all the stuff will be sucked into a certain place where it can be collected and disposed of in an environmentally friendly fashion.”

Proctor said a platform will be built above the bridge’s walking trails and roadways so work can be done without interfering with traffic.

On Thursday, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston stood by the provincial government’s decision to allow a company headquartered in the United States to spearhead the project. He said there wasn’t a Canadian company able to do the work.

“Where it’s a public safety issue, if we have to use an American company in the face of public safety then we’ll have to do that, but we’ll always look for opportunities for Nova Scotian companies or Canadians,” Houston said.

The Macdonald Bridge will be closed the weekend of April 25 as work gets underway.

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