Macdonald Bridge cycling protest may cause rush-hour delays

If you're driving across the Macdonald Bridge this evening, prepare for delays.

A group of cyclists is planning toprotesthow long it is taking toinstallbike and pedestrian walkways as part of the bridge's massive Big Lift project.

The group will meetat George Dixon Park on Gottingen Street at 6 p.m. They then plan to bike over the bridge to Dartmouth, taking up a single lane of traffic.

The bike lane on the side of the Macdonald was dismantled in 2015. It wasoriginally supposed to reopen thisMarch, then May. Now officials with Halifax Harbour Bridges say it will reopen by the end of June.

Cyclingcommuter Amanda Stevens said she and others are fed up with delays.

"What I find frustrating is that cyclists I think are not being prioritized. They make commitments to open upthe bike lane at different points and keep delaying it," she told CBC's Information Morning.

"I understand that there is still work that needs to be done but I think they need to start closing the bridge on weekends again or do whatever they need to do to get the work done and open the bike lane."

Not safe to cross on a bike right now

Alison MacDonald, who speaks for Halifax Harbour Bridges, saidit's not legal or safe to ride across the bridge on a bike at the moment.

"There are no shoulders on the bridge, the lanes are narrow and the space between the lanes are narrow so it's just not safe," she said.

Stevens said her group tried to plan the protest without alerting the bridge commission"but somehow they found out and fortunately they are accommodating the ride, which we appreciate." Despite the bridge commission's participation, Stevens said she thinks her group will still be able to get its message across.

"No one wants the sidewalk and bike lane reopened more than we do. We understand the frustration of the walkers and the cyclists and we want it open as well. The contractor is aware that this is a priority," said MacDonald.

Huge project

Bridge vehicles, one in front and one behind with safety lights flashing,will escort riders in the lane closest to the guardrail from Halifax to Dartmouth around 6 p.m.

MacDonaldsaid bike lane delays are the result of a "domino effect."

"There's a sequence of work that has to happen and because of some of the other delays the work on the sidewalk and bike lane did get delayed," she said.

The massive project, which began in 2015, has involved splicing thesuspended structure into sections each about 20 metre long and lowering themonto trucks or barges in the harbour. New deck segments were installed to fill the gaps in time for daily rush-hour traffic.

The process had only been done once before, more than 10 years ago on Vancouver's Lions Gate Bridge.

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