HALIFAX: Plans to start work on the new roundabout in Port Hastings this summer have been delayed to the fall.
Deborah Bayer, Communications Advisor with the Department of Public Works, wrote The Reporter via email that the second and final phase of the Port Hastings roundabout will now be tendered later this summer with a fall 2023 completion date, which is a change from original plans to start construction this summer.
“Some construction will start this fall and there will be about two months of work with only minimal traffic disruptions,” she wrote.
Starting in May 2023, Bayer said the province now plans to start construction of the roundabout, including approaches, gravel placement, drainage, signage, lighting, paving, and landscaping, with this work expected to be completed by the fall of 2023.
“The decision to tender the work later this summer was made last fall after we received feedback from our public consultations,” she wrote. “This timing will allow us to mitigate risks with the relocation of the utilities and property acquisitions and give us the time needed to complete construction.”
Late last year Jamie Chisholm, Director of the Eastern District for the Department of Public Works told The Reporter the new roundabout will be centered west of the existing rotary.
Chisholm said the department decided to split the project into two parts because of the amount of work required.
In the first phase, Chisholm said crews did “heavy ground work” which was mainly “off shoulder” work that had little impact on traffic.
In the second phase, Chisholm said crews are going to widen the west bound lane between the new roundabout and the swing bridge. He said there will be two lanes west bound from the new roundabout to the Canso Canal, which will double the amount of available space when the swing bridge opens for marine traffic. The reason they’re planning this is to allow for a little extra storage when the bridge gets open, Chisholm said, noting that traffic gets jammed up when the bridge opens, and traffic backs up from the bridge to the existing rotary.
Chisholm said the second phase will “certainly cause disruption” to traffic.
Along with work to the rotary, Chisholm said the signage and beautification work – which has been discussed by local municipal councils – around the rotary will also be included in the second phase.
“We’ve been consulting on the Port Hastings roundabout throughout the design process. Our consultations included the Inverness Municipal Council, Port Hawkesbury Council, the local MLA, the Visitor Information Center/Tourism Nova Scotia, Port Hastings Fire Hall, Strait Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Cape Breton Gateway group. Consultations will continue with stakeholders as we work towards finalizing the design,” Bayer wrote. “We’ve also had public consultations online due to COVD-19 public health restrictions and shared details of our project through our website at: https://novascotia.ca/tran/highways/port-hastings-roundabout.asp. This site includes a text description, map, and video presentation outlining the project. We also solicited feedback through this online resource.”
While there were complaints about replacing the rotary, Chisholm insisted it’s a safer option that will be less confusing. Noting there are roundabouts in Antigonish County, Whycocomagh and the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, he said they are nothing new to Strait area motorists.
The current lay-out is outdated, Chisholm said, adding the roundabout is a step in the right direction to resolve current safety issues.