The Macdonald Bridge is about to undergo major work and according to Halifax Harbour Bridges it is going to be quite the sight.

Project LifeSpan will involve the two towers to be stripped of seven decades of paint and wrapped, in order to preserve them for decades.

Spokesperson Stephen Proctor tells our newsroom the work will involve dozens of people and encourages caution.

“It’s exciting to have 30, 40 people up on the tower, chipping and doing their stuff. We appreciate that, [but] if people would just pay attention to their driving so we don’t have any unnecessary accidents,” says Proctor.

Long time coming

The project has been in the works for the last three years.

Proctor says they have already been doing little bits of it and if they don’t complete it now, they would have to start all over again.

“It would be another five years before we could ever get this together again. It’s something that’s within the 10-year maintenance plan that we have to do,” says Proctor.

He adds, this the third phase of the plan and now going to get more complicated.

“We put it out as a large tender because it attracts bigger and more skilled trades people. There’s a very limited skill set of people who can do this kind of work 90 meters above the ocean,” says Proctor.

Hefty price tag

The project will take two years to complete and cost $70 million.

According to comments on social media, there are concerns about where the money is coming from, considering the tolls that would generate $40 million in revenue annually, just came down.

However, Proctor says, the cost had already been worked out.

“This was, in fact, in the provincial budget that was released this spring. They understand the bridge requires maintenance funds and this was money that was set aside,” notes Proctor.

Closures

Project LifeSpan will happen on the Dartmouth Tower first then switch to the Halifax side in 2026.

The Macdonald will be closed for four weekends to facilitate the work starting next Friday, April 25.