Canso Causeway Improvements to Begin in January

Improvements to the Canso Causeway will see upgrades to the swing bridge, a new operators' building and structural repairs over the next two years.

"The Canso Causeway is a critical piece of infrastructure that links Cape Breton to mainland Nova Scotia," said Geoff MacLellan, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. "The repairs will allow for increased capacity and reliability as well as improve safety."

In July 2014, the federal government transferred the administration and control of the Canso Causeway to the province. The transfer included federal funding of $9 million towards work on the swing bridge and the causeway.

The swing bridge is sixty years old and requires significant upgrades to ensure it continues to provide service to all transportation types including vehicular, marine and rail. The upgrades include structural, mechanical and electrical repairs, and various traffic improvements. It also includes the construction of a new operators' building adjacent to the swing bridge. This will allow for increased vertical clearance for high-sided vehicles travelling to Cape Breton.

To help reduce vehicular traffic delays, there will be a temporary detour bridge and temporary road approaches.

The contract worth $8.95 million was awarded to Allsteel Coatings Limited. Work is scheduled to begin in January.

The canal will be closed to marine traffic for its regular closure period, Dec. 25 to April 15, and there will not be significant delays to highway traffic.

The Canso Causeway project is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2017. The project is part of the capital plan for 2016-17.