Macdonald Bridge in Halifax turns 60 years old

The Angus L. Macdonald Bridge in Halifax is celebrating a milestone on Thursday, marking 60 years since the first span across the Halifax Harbour was officially opened on April 2, 1955.

Celebrations will be low key, with a cake for employees and the release of some historical images on social media.

Since the construction of a second span — the A. Murray MacKay Bridge — in 1970, the Macdonald Bridge has come to be known as the "Old Bridge." It was named after a former Nova Scotia premier, Angus L. MacDonald, who died in office the year before construction on his namesake bridge was completed.

Then and now

There were 2.7 million crossings during the Macdonald Bridge's first full year of operation. After six decades, that number has reached 630 million since 1955. Each year, there are more than 34 million crossings on both bridges.

Initially, a trip across the bridge cost 40 cents in cash or 30 cents a ticket.

Tokens were introduced in 1963 and eliminated in 2008, while the electronic tolls — the MacPass — were launched in 1998. It now costs $1 to cross the bridge if you use cash, and 80 cents for a passenger vehicle with a MacPass.

In 1999, a third lane was added in the middle of the span to be used as a reversing lane. The pedestrian and bike lanes were also added.

Dramatic overhaul

The Macdonald Bridge has undergone several changes over the years and there's about to be another dramatic overhaul.

The redecking of the bridge — a project dubbed the Big Lift — began in March with preliminary assessments and some reinforcement work. The side lanes will be removed in June and sections of the span will start to be replaced one at a time after Sept. 1. The operation will involve lowering a section to a barge below and lifting a new one into place.

The Macdonald Bridge will be closed most nights and weekends to accommodate the work. It's only the second time this type of replacement has been done — the first operation happened on the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver about a decade ago.

The Big Lift is expected to last about 18 months.