Halifax-Dartmouth Bridges Regulations
made under Section 27A of the
Halifax-Dartmouth Bridges Act
S.N.S. 2005, c. 7
O.I.C. 2026-155 (effective May 1, 2026), N.S. Reg. 116/2026
Table of Contents
Please note: this table of contents is provided for convenience of reference and does not form part of the regulations.
Click here to go to the text of the regulations.
Citation
Definitions
Authorizations and permits
Prohibited activities on Bridges and property
Weight limits
Minimum speed limits
Emergency telecommunications facility
Citation
1 These regulations may be cited as the Halifax-Dartmouth Bridges Regulations.
Definitions
2 In these regulations, the following definitions apply:
“Act” means the Halifax-Dartmouth Bridges Act;
“authorized” means granted permission, either orally or in writing, to act in a
manner contrary to a provision of these regulations by the Chief Executive Officer,
a traffic officer or a person designated to do so by the Chief Executive Officer,
including taking any actions described in a permit;
“emergency telecommunication facility” means any telecommunication equipment
installed on a Bridge or other Link Nova Scotia property for the purpose of
permitting Bridge users to report to and communicate with Link Nova Scotia if an
accident or other emergency occurs;
“Link Nova Scotia property” means the real property and structures that are either
owned by Link Nova Scotia or that, by agreement with the Halifax Regional
Municipality or the Province, are maintained or controlled by Link Nova Scotia,
including those located at the east and west end of each Bridge, and includes all of
the following:
(i) in respect of the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge,
(A) the bikeway entrance-exit ramp adjacent to the east-bound exit
road leading to Barrington Street, and
(B) the Dartmouth-bound entrance ramp from Barrington Street,
(ii) in respect of the A. Murray MacKay Bridge,
(A) in Halifax-the approach ramps from their respective junctions
with Barrington, Robie and Windsor Streets, and
(B) in Dartmouth-Highway 111 to the eastern boundary of the
Victoria Road interchange and the entire area occupied by the
Victoria Road interchange as defined by the Department of
Public Works;
“mobility aid” means a wheelchair or other device, whether motorized or not,
designed and being used to facilitate the transport, in a seated position, of an
individual with a physical disability, including a physical limitation on the ability
to walk or move;
“permit” means a written document respecting travel on a Bridge issued on behalf
of Link Nova Scotia under Section 3;
“recreational apparatus” means a device capable of transporting an individual
while being propelled by that individual’s muscular power, other than a bicycle or
a mobility aid, and including all of the following:
(i) a kick scooter,
(ii) a skate board,
(iii) in-line skates,
(iv) roller skates,
(v) a non-motorized conveyance designed for children[,] such as a
balance bike, ride-on car or toy conveyance, and includes a
conveyance that would otherwise meet the definition of bicycle but
whose wheels do not meet the minimum size criteria;
“telecommunication” means any transmission, emission or reception of signs,
signals, writing, images or sounds or intelligence of any nature by wire, radio,
visual or other electromagnetic system;
“traffic officer” means a police officer of Halifax Regional Municipality, a member
of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or any person appointed by Link Nova
Scotia as a traffic officer;
“Weights and Dimensions of Vehicles Regulations” means the Weights and
Dimensions of Vehicles Regulations made under the Motor Vehicle Act.
Authorizations and permits
3 (1) The Chief Executive Officer and persons they designate to do so may issue a
permit.
(2) The Chief Executive Officer may determine the terms and conditions upon which a
permit may be issued and may designate the employees of Link Nova Scotia who
may issue a permit.
(3) The Chief Executive Officer may prescribe the form of permit to be used by Link
Nova Scotia.
Prohibited activities on Bridges and property
4 (1) Other than a person authorized by Link Nova Scotia, a person must not do any of
the following on Link Nova Scotia property:
(a) use a recreational apparatus;
(b) park or leave a vehicle;
(c) damage property of Link Nova Scotia;
(d) throw any material, substance or thing from any portion of the Bridges or
deposit or leave any material, substance or thing on any portion of the
Bridges;
(e) climb on any portion of the Bridges;
(f) travel upon any area of the Bridges other than
(i) for vehicles, the vehicular roadbed,
(ii) for cyclists, the bicycle lane;
(g) operate a vehicle, other than a bicycle, on the bicycle lane on the Angus L.
Macdonald Bridge;
(h) walk a bicycle on a bicycle lane, unless it is unsafe to do otherwise;
(i) for a pedestrian, use or enter upon any portion of the Bridges other than the
sidewalk;
(j) use or enter upon any portion of the A. Murray MacKay Bridge unless they
are driving, or riding as a passenger in, a vehicle.
(2) Without a permit, a person must not do any of the following on any portion of the
Bridges:
(a) ride a horse or other animal or drive a vehicle drawn by a horse or other
animal;
(b) drive a vehicle that has a total outside width, including any load thereon,
greater than 2.6 m;
(c) drive a road roller, tracked equipment or similar heavy equipment;
(d) carry any dynamite or other explosive or dangerous material.
(3) Without a permit, a person must not drive a crane, backhoe, wheel loader, grader,
asphalt spreader, forklift, tractor or other vehicle that is not a passenger vehicle or a
truck that Link Nova Scotia, in its discretion, believes likely to impede the normal
flow of traffic
(a) at any time on the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge; or
(b) between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on the A. Murray MacKay
Bridge.
Weight limits
5 Other than a person authorized by Link Nova Scotia, a person must not operate any of
the following vehicles or combination of vehicles on any portion of the Bridges or any
Link Nova Scotia property:
(a) on the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge, a truck or other vehicle designed to
carry freight or merchandise that has a gross vehicle weight of more than
3200 kg;
(b) on the A. Murray MacKay Bridge, a vehicle or combination of vehicles,
either unladen or with load, that
(i) exceeds the axle weight, gross vehicle weight or maximum weight
for an axle assembly on a vehicle on a maximum weight road listed
in Schedule “C” to the Road List[s] Regulations as permitted to
operate under the Weights and Dimensions of Vehicles Regulations,
or
(ii) otherwise does not comply with the Weights and Dimensions of
Vehicles Regulations.
Minimum speed limits
6 Unless directed so to do by a traffic officer or by a traffic signal, a person must not drive
or operate a vehicle upon the Bridges
(a) at a speed slower than 20 km/h; or
(b) at a speed slower than 30 km/h on a day other than Saturday, Sunday or a
public holiday in the Halifax Regional Municipality and between the hours
of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Emergency telecommunications facility
7 A person must not use any emergency telecommunication facility other than to report an
accident or other emergency to Link Nova Scotia or otherwise communicate with Link
Nova Scotia in respect of an accident or emergency.
The following regulations are not
yet in force and are not included in the current consolidation: