Macdonald Bridge closure reveals state of Halifax traffic [Video]

A professor at Dalhousie University says Thursday’s closure of the Macdonald Bridge in Halifax is concerning, especially if the peninsula was ever under a mandatory evacuation order.

“We are stuck,” said Ahsan Habib, director of the Dalhousie University School of Planning. “Our last simulation run showed it takes, only for the peninsula – assuming there is no congestion, no incident – it takes 24 hours to evacuate the peninsula. It’s unacceptable.”

Habib says Halifax’s infrastructure is 10 years behind – making closures to one of the main routes in and out of the city almost impossible to get around in a timely manner.

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“I think there are projects in the pipeline. We need to prioritize the ones that are immediate, particularly for this type of situation,” said Habib.

The Macdonald Bridge, which connects Halifax and Dartmouth, N.S., closed Thursday afternoon …