Nova Scotia gives A-OK to B-trains on bridge
HALIFAX, (Feb. 17, 2005) — the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board said yesterday that B-train combinations will soon be allowed on MacKay bridge.
According to the Halifax Daily News, provincial engineers ruled that although B-trains haven’t been allowed on the bridge to date, they’re not too heavy for it. In fact, the paper quoted Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission CEO Steve Snider as saying B-trains will have less impact on the bridge than a standard 53-foot tractor-trailer because of more spread out axle configurations.
The rule means the longer trucks will be able to take a direct route across the harbour rather than winding around the congested Bedford Highway. The trucks will be allowed on the bridge as soon as the province amends the bridge by-laws.
About 5,000 more trips a year are expected from the additional truck traffic. Operators will pay about $7 per trip, or $6 electronically.
The trucking industry has been lobbying to get B-trains allowed onto the bridge for years.
Atlantic Provinces’ Trucking Association President Ralph Boyd told the Daily News that B-trains make transporting goods for efficient — an important benefit for an industry facing a severe driver shortage.
— from the Halifax Daily News
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