Province Advancing Targeted Transportation Improvements

A new dedicated transit lane will be added on the Macdonald Bridge approach for buses turning left from Wyse Road toward Halifax.

Currently, Wyse Road has three left-turn lanes onto the Macdonald Bridge approach, including a dedicated bus lane. However, the bridge approach only has two receiving lanes. Buses use a transit-priority signal to make the turn, but once that phase ends and the signal turns green for general traffic, buses must stop and wait. Otherwise, they would need to merge directly into general traffic at the intersection to access the curbside lane on the bridge approach.

This improvement will provide a continuous priority route for buses travelling onto the bridge, allowing them to move through the intersection more efficiently, helping to reduce delays caused by merging with general traffic.

The change will improve safety, reduce travel time variability, and support more consistent and reliable bus service during busy morning and afternoon peak periods.

What to look for: Pavement markings will be re-painted and roadway signs will be updated to create a third receiving lane for buses entering the Macdonald Bridge approach, headed towards Halifax. The current transit priority signal will be removed as the creation of the dedicated receiving lane for buses makes it unnecessary.

Introduction of adaptive signal technology at eight (8) intersections on North Street and Nantucket Avenue (the Macdonald Bridge corridor). Improves traffic flow and travel time reliability along this critical corridor through real-time signal optimization and improved coordination of key intersections.

What to look for: adaptive signals will look the same as regular signals, but operate differently. More details here.

A second, dedicated left-turn lane will be added for vehicles exiting the Macdonald Bridge and turning left onto Wyse Road.

This upgrade will use available space from the removal of the former toll plaza to increase left-turn capacity, which will help improve traffic flow and reduce line ups for vehicles coming off the Macdonald Bridge during peak periods.

What to look for: New pavement markings and new roadway signage to identify the additional dedicated left-turn lane.

When travelling on Nantucket Avenue, left-turns are no longer permitted at the intersection of Nantucket Avenue/Sportsplex/ Dartmouth Shopping Centre. This change is now in effect and is intended to improve intersection efficiency, make pedestrian crossings safer, and reduce delays by removing turning movements that contribute to congestion and vehicles lining up.

What to look for: New ‘No left turns’ signs are now installed at the intersection.

When travelling away from downtown Halifax on Brunswick Street, the lane configuration at the Brunswick Street and Cogswell Street intersection will be changed to provide a dedicated lane for left turns onto Cogswell Street, and a shared lane for through traffic and right turns.

Traffic signal timing at this and nearby intersections will also be adjusted to improve traffic flow.

These changes better match lane use with current demand, improve traffic progression, and reduce delays at a critical downtown intersection.

What to look for: Pavement markings will be re-painted to change the current lane configuration from a shared through-left lane and a right-turn lane into a dedicated left-turn lane and a shared through traffic and right-turn lane. Roadway signs will also be updated.

Traffic travelling on Gottingen Street, toward downtown Halifax, will no longer be able to turn left onto Brunswick Street.

This change will reduce delays, improve pedestrian safety, and help traffic move more efficiently through this busy downtown intersection.

What to look for: A new ‘No left turns’ sign installed at the intersection.

Introduction of adaptive signal technology at eight (8) intersections on North Street and Nantucket Avenue (the Macdonald Bridge corridor). Improves traffic flow and travel time reliability along this critical corridor through real-time signal optimization and improved coordination of key intersections.

What to look for: adaptive signals will look the same as regular signals, but operate differently. More details here.

Vehicles travelling east on North Street, towards the Macdonald Bridge, will not be able to turn left onto Gottingen Street during the morning and afternoon peak periods.

This change will reduce congestion and delays at the intersection, helping general traffic and buses move more efficiently along this important approach to the Macdonald crossing.

What to look for: A new ‘No left turns’ sign restricting eastbound turning during peak installed at the intersection.

Identify improvements for intersections on the corridor, as well as adjustments to access.

Traffic light timing at the Oxford Street and Coburg Road intersection will be changed to shorten green time for lower-volume traffic movements and provide more green time for vehicles turning left from Oxford Street onto Coburg Road, toward downtown Halifax.

A dedicated right-turn signal phase will also be introduced for drivers travelling from downtown Halifax and turning right onto Oxford Street.

These changes will improve traffic flow by aligning how the intersection operates with the current needs.

The traffic light phasing for pedestrians will be maintained to ensure safety for intersection users.

What to look for: The existing traffic signal be updated to run the new timing sequence and a bimodal green arrow will be added to indicate the right turns onto Oxford Street.

The north and southbound lane configurations on Connaught Avenue at the Quinpool Road intersection will be re-painted to create new directional lanes.

This upgrade will provide vehicles travelling Connaught in either direction with two dedicated left-turn lanes, one dedicated lane for through traffic, and one shared lane for through traffic and right turns.

These changes will improve traffic flow and reduce delays by aligning the operation of the intersection with current traffic patterns, which sees many drivers turning left at Quinpool Road from either direction on Connaught.

What to look for: For northbound vehicles entering the intersection at Connaught and Quinpool the current dedicated left-turn lane and shared left-turn and through traffic lane will become two dedicated left-turn lanes.

The current dedicated through traffic lane will remain unchanged, while the current dedicated right lane will become a shared through traffic and right-turn lane.

For southbound vehicles entering the intersection at Connaught and Quinpool the current dedicated left lanes and the current dedicated through traffic lane are all unchanged.

The current dedicated right-turn lane will become a shared through traffic and right-turn lane.

Vehicles travelling east on Jubliee Road, towards downtown Halifax, or travelling west on Jubliee Road, away from downtown Halifax, will not be permitted to make left turns onto Oxford Street during the morning and afternoon peak periods.

While relatively few vehicles require these left turns, they occur from a shared lane and that can cause delays when traffic volumes are high.

Restricting these turns during busy periods will help improve traffic flow through the intersection.

What to look for: A new ‘No left turns’ sign restricting turning during peak periods installed at the intersection.

Building on upgrades that took place at the end of 2025, vehicles travelling left from the Exit 3 Highway 102 off-ramp will have two left-hand turning lanes when turning onto Hammonds Plains Road.

Improvements also will be made to the Exit 3 on-ramp, where a new set of traffic signals will be installed. These signals will support a dedicated, signalized left-turn onto the ramp, improving safety and traffic operations at the intersection.

What to look for: A second left-hand turning lane from the Exit 3 off-ramp to Hammonds Plains Road is complete. More information here.