The first few days of the inbound closure on Bayers Road – from Connaught Avenue to Windsor Street – have showed Halifax residents what to expect for the next two years. “When it’s a rush hour, that the whole place is just filled up with cars and the traffic drives you crazy, right?” says Joseph Oyediran, who lives in the area. He says despite having issues accessing his driveway, the traffic is controlled well, but he was surprised to learn of the project’s duration. “Woah, I never knew it was actually two years,” he says. “This is a very significant timeframe.” The outbound lane remains open, but is down to one lane, as the municipality adds dedicated bus lanes in both directions, and Halifax Water undertakes work at the same time. “Being on both sides of the lane is a good innovation, to be honest,” says Oyediran. “I think members of the community will be so…appreciative of that.” While the city’s detour sticks to main roads, some people living on side streets are also feeling the traffic impact. “I feel like it’s a lot slower,” says Patrick Odinga. “I do have to get to work. The busses have been delayed a lot.” While there’s backup in both directions, Bayers Road from Highway 102 to Connaught Avenue, and for those heading outbound, the project will also eventually support the municipality’s long-awaited Bus Rapid Transit plan. While it’s expected to reopen during the winter months, it’s impacting some businesses already. While they remain open, they’re hearing about it from customers. “Customers are telling us the difficulty to come up here,” says Catherine Luo, owner of Look Ho Ho Restaurant. “(They’re a) little frustrated with all the traffic to come down to the restaurant.” She says fewer people have been through the business since the project began. Despite that, she has high hopes for the municipality’s end goal: better transit. “Every citizen will be benefit,” she says. “But during these two years, the time is not good for us.” She’s thankful for the loyal customers who are braving the traffic to support the business and get a bite to eat. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
