Bayers Road widening pitch gets rough reception

A proposal to widen Bayers Road in Halifax received a cool reception at a public meeting Wednesday night.

The road is a major route used by commuters as they make their way onto the peninsula. Consultants say it must be expanded in order to accommodate the growth in traffic predicted over the next 30 years.

The preliminary plan calls for the road to be widened to six lanes between Highway 102 and Connaught Avenue, then four lanes on to Windsor Street.

That leaves residents and business owners wondering what it means for them.

"My wife and I have a one-year old. The road is going to be in her front room by your current study," said Ian Epstein, one of about 150 people gathered for the meeting at the St. Andrew's Centre.

"You've essentially said it could be 28 years before the construction takes place. Does that mean we can't sell our home now for 28 years because of this?" Epstein asked.

David Chung, owner of Look Ho Ho restaurant, is worried about his customers.

Development stage

"So how are you going to take land from us, anyway? If they take four feet (1.2 metres), they're going to walk right out the door and into the traffic," Chung said.

Dave McCusker, manager of traffic and transportation services for the Halifax Regional Municipality, said it could mean buying 80 properties over 30 years.

But consultant Gerry Boulos said the proposal is still very much in the development stage.

"We're not talking about an imminent construction of any of this," said Boulos, with Stantec Consulting, the company hired to work on the proposal.

"It's just a very high level study to determine capacity and just what would need to be done. But we're not at that stage where we can answer the details of what it would look like."

Another information session is scheduled for Thursday in Bedford.