Decision on raising bridge tolls expected soon
Posted Jan 6, 2011 03:17:36 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The application to raise cash tolls on the harbour spans could come to a decision within days. Halifax Harbour Bridges CEO Steve Snider tells News 95.7’s Maritime Morning he’s hoping to hear from the Utility and Review Board within the next week on the application to raise vehicle tolls from 75 cents to a dollar and MacPass rates from 60 cents a crossing to 80 cents.
“The reason we need the toll increase is to support this major reconstruction project on the MacDonald bridge. We estimate that project to come in at about $150 million,” he says. “It is not reasonable for us to borrow all the money to finance that and we need to look at an increase in the tolls.”
Snider says tolls have remained the same since 1992 and the increase being sought is fair.
“Interestingly enough, the increase that we’ve asked for pretty much matches the Consumer Price Index from 1992 until now, pretty much on the nose,” he says.
