Proposed Halifax truck detour for Cogswell Interchange slammed

A proposal to reroute transport truck traffic to a narrow, primarily residential street in downtown Halifax during the deconstruction of a major interchange is not sitting well with some residents and businesses.

The proposal would see large trucks driving through the narrow, primarily residential Morris Street in downtown during redevelopment of the Cogswell Interchange.

"This is really one of the most ridiculous things I've heard of in a while," Morris Street resident Ken Murphy said Friday.

"This is a very narrow, short street. Trucks will be a disaster on Morris Street."

Fixing old mistake

The tangle of overpasses and underpasses at Cogswell Street, Barrington Street and Upper Water Street was built 45 years ago to accommodate a harbourside expressway that was never built.

Halifax Regional Municipality plans to redevelop the Cogswell Street Interchange by 2020. Each day, around 90,000 vehicles drive through the interchange, which means those will still need to get on and off the peninsula during construction.

At a transportation committee hearing Thursday, staff presented the Morris Street idea as an option to accommodate trucks travelling to and from the Port of Halifax in the south end.

Trucks would bypass the interchange by looping around, through Morris Street to South Park Street, then crossing Spring Garden onto Robie Street, and then exiting the peninsula — and vice versa.

'Worst possible place'

The idea was quickly and harshly criticized.

"This is the worst possible place to bring 18-wheelers, and I don't know how it could possibly work," Coun. Matt Whitman said in an interview Friday.

"We need to find a permanent solution, not a temporary solution."

'Major disruption for trucks'

A Port of Halifax official declined an interview, saying its staff will meet with city planners to discuss changing the truck route. According to a progress report by project manager Steven Higgins, that meeting is scheduled for July 28.

"There's no question this is going to be a major disruption for trucks," Halifax spokesman Brendan Elliott said.

"That's why we are coming out as early as we are with this information, so we can talk with all the different groups that would be affected by it."

'Take another look'

Businesses in the area could also be impacted by heavy truck traffic on the narrow streets, said Jennie Dobbs, owner of restaurant Morris East.

"It's already noisy as it is, and I already have concerns about an increase in traffic flow to the port," she said. "It has the potential to be really disruptive — and it would kill my patio business."

The owner of Dartmouth-based trucking company Guysborough Transfer said he's hoping a better, if temporary, route can be found.

"I'm hoping that the city can take another look at it and maybe realize that it's not the best alternative," Pat Berrigan said.

Another option

Another option tossed about is to add truck and bus lanes around an existing rail line in south-end Halifax.

That would cost an estimated $200 million, but Whitman supports that project, with a reversing lane accommodating traffic going to the south in the morning and leaving in the afternoon.

"That piece of infrastructure is sitting right there and is waiting to be paved to put trucks and buses in there," Whitman said. "Make the downtown cycle friendly and pedestrian friendly."