HALIFAX—New sidewalks are on the way for the Spryfield area, as Halifax regional council awarded a tender to upgrade sections of Herring Cove Rd. at a special meeting on Wednesday.

The municipality will pay Dexter Construction Company Ltd. an estimated $3.6 million to install sidewalks and bike lanes on the stretch of Herring Cove Rd. from Greystone Dr. past Lynnett Rd. and into the 500 block.

“This is a very important project for our community,” Spryfield area Coun. Stephen Adams said during Wednesday’s meeting.

“It’s going to help bring all the members of our community together and give it a real facelift.”

Herring Cove Rd. between Greystone Dr. and Lynnett Rd. now has three lanes with a sidewalk on one side of the street, while the rural segment from Lynnett to the 500 block has two lanes, paved shoulders and ditches.

According to municipal staff, the roadway will get sidewalks, a treed boulevard and bike lanes on both sides of the street, leaving room for two lanes for vehicles.

The tender also includes construction of more crosswalks at key points, a storm water system and repaving.

These upgrades are the first step of a larger project to revitalize Herring Cove Rd. from the Armdale Rotary to the 500 block.

The road is a major artery linking the Spryfield and Purcell’s Cove area to the regional centre of Halifax and, according to planners, accommodates more than 15,000 vehicles a day, but municipal staff said residents say they need more active transportation options.

The redesign, which will happen in stages, relies on the municipality’s Integrated Mobility Plan to guide its active transportation priorities. The city has also conducted a number of public meetings to hear residents’ hopes for the roadway.

Adams said the new sidewalks and bike lanes will likely take two construction seasons to complete due to the “large” scope of the project. Staff anticipate the work will begin within three weeks and finish no later than Aug. 30, 2020.

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Julia-Simone Rutgers is a Halifax-based journalist and a freelance contributor for Star Halifax. Follow her on Twitter: @jsrutgers

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