Dutch Village Road closures extended due to infrastructure issue

Construction delays mean the current phase of work along Dutch Village Road and nearby streets is being extended.

Halifax Regional Municipality says the current phase has been extended until mid-September due to unmarked underground utility infrastructure.

Intersections on the west side of Dutch Village, Sunnybrae, Central, Rosedale, Frederick and Rufus avenues will remain closed until Sept. 19.

Dutch Village Road is open to northbound traffic from the intersection of Joseph Howe Drive and Bayers Road. Southbound traffic is closed between Supreme Court and the same intersection.

Once this phase wraps up, southbound traffic will be restored, and the west-side intersections will reopen. Construction will then shift to the east side of Dutch Village, which will also affect traffic.

What is happening to Dutch Village Road?

Regional council voted to revitalize and reinvent Dutch Village Road in 2020 to match the Complete Streets Functional Plan. The goal is to improve safety and add more active transportation options along the thoroughfare.

Some of the ways the project is aiming to do that is by adding a sidewalk on the west side of the street, adding protected bike lanes on both sides, creating concrete bus stop pads and improving pedestrian crossings.

The plan is also set to improve the connections between the community and the Chain of Lakes Trail and allow for on-street parallel parking instead of perpendicular spaces. Finally, workers will add beautifying elements such as trees, benches, planters and more garbage bins.