Avoid route towards Halifax’s Windsor Street Exchange if possible, municipality says

A Halifax ramp will be closed for two years as part of the Windsor Street Exchange project.

Motorists in Halifax heading from Robie Street towards the Windsor Street Exchange need to plan their route ahead.

The ramp connecting Massachusetts Avenue to Highway 111 toward the MacKay Bridge is now closed for two years, as part of preliminary work for the Windsor Street Exchange Redevelopment.

The first full day of the closure on Friday prompted some confusion, with several vehicles using the ‘authorized vehicles only’ turnaround spot after realizing they couldn’t make it through to the Windsor Street Exchange.

It started with a lane realignment in early December rather than the closure, but that caused issues.

“We have responded to some feedback that we’ve received with concerns around the ramp from Massachusetts towards the Bedford Highway and Windsor Street Exchange,” says Megan Soroka, the municipality’s project manager.

She says that stems from sightline, speed and safety concerns.

“Safety-wise, I believe it’s actually a good thing, because if you’ve ever driven that actually going up there, that’s actually a blind yield,” says J.C. Goddard, the owner of a roadside service company and Halifax traffic vlogger.

The intersection’s facelift is estimated to be around $150 million, likely going into 2028 or 2029.

“This is not just the busiest intersection in HRM, it’s the busiest in the province, from what I understand,” says city councillor Kathryn Morse. “So, it absolutely has to be rebuilt. It’s handling more traffic than it was built for.

“It’s become unsafe, so we have to rebuild it.”

Signs are in place at the Robie-Young-Massachusetts intersection, but if you miss them, you’ll either have to merge a few lanes with bridge traffic or go all the way to Dartmouth and back.

“They have a detour sign there to put you down on Barrington Street,” says Goddard. “But it’s very difficult to cross those three active lanes. So, personally, I just went across the bridge and turned around.”

The project manager suggests avoiding that route altogether, if possible.

“My suggestion – if you’re going north on Robie – is to turn on Young and take Kempt or Windsor towards Bedford Highway,” says Soroka.

The project is going hand-in-hand with some critical Halifax Water work, meaning active construction for the next three to four years.

Morse acknowledges the construction is inconvenient, but says it’s necessary.

“It’s just really the most critical piece of infrastructure in the city right now,” she says.

But that’s all pending further Halifax council approval.

The project team will present to councillors in March, with updated details about the work, timeline and cost.

Dexter Construction is the contractor.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page