Macdonald Bridge closed on weekend of Oct. 27-30

October 26, 2023

A vehicle drives on the Barrington Street ramp to the Macdonald Bridge at sunset. The Canadian flag flies in the tower of the bridge in the background.

The Macdonald Bridge will be closed this weekend to allow work crews to replace a bearing on the Dartmouth side of the iconic structure.

The bridge will close to vehicle traffic on Friday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. and will reopen on Monday, Oct, 30, at 5:30 a.m. The sidewalk and the bikeway will remain open with intermittent interruptions when the bridge is being lifted.

The bearings allow the bridge to move slightly as vehicles pass over and during high winds. The replacement of the bearing requires the jacking up of a section of the bridge. It is an integral part of maintenance efforts to keep the harbour crossing operating at peak efficiency.

The weekend effort is part of a four-year program to replace bearings that have been in place since the bridge was built. This is the final bearing replacement for 2023.