Increase in Overweight Vehicles Using Halifax Bridges Since Toll Removal

Large commercial vehicle drivers in Halifax seem to be taking more risks when it comes to which bridge they use, now that the toll plaza has been removed. Halifax Harbour Bridges reported on their Facebook page that there has been a noticeable increase in overweight vehicles using the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge.

According to Steve Proctor, communications manager at the bridge commission, vehicles weighing more than 3,200 kilograms are prohibited from crossing the Macdonald Bridge and must use the A. Murray MacKay Bridge instead. Despite this rule, enforcement staff have been issuing between two and four tickets a day to commercial vehicles breaking the weight limit, which is double the usual amount.

Proctor mentioned that ten tickets were handed out to drivers of prohibited commercial vehicles last weekend when the MacKay Bridge was closed, forcing them to use the Macdonald Bridge illegally. He emphasized that while they may not catch every violator, enforcement efforts are consistent and ongoing.

Violators face fines starting at $230, with escalating penalties for repeat offenses. Halifax Harbour Bridges has been collaborating with the Nova Scotia Trucking Safety Association on awareness campaigns to remind drivers that even though tolls have been eliminated, the weight restrictions on the Macdonald Bridge remain in effect.

Proctor stressed that the enforcement of these rules is crucial for ensuring the safety and longevity of the bridge. The removal of toll plazas from both bridges earlier this year marked the end of seven decades of toll collection for crossing Halifax Harbour.