Macdonald Bridge closure and highway crashes frustrate drivers

The unplannedclosure of the Macdonald Bridge on Fridaymeant mounting frustration for many drivers whose commutes unexpectedly doubled in length.

At 7:30 a.m., Halifax Harbour Bridges said it hopedthe bridge wouldbe open by 8:30 a.m. About 40 minutes later,the bridge commission tweeted that would not happen. It remainsclosed.

Not even paramedics were allowed across the Macdonald Bridge this morning.

The Halifax Transit ferry shuttling commuters between Dartmouth and Halifax had lineups of people hoping to avoid the traffic on the MacKay Bridge.

Several accidents, including a three-car crash on the CircumferentialHighway leading to the MacKay Bridge caused more commuting problems.

There was also a crash involving several cars on Highway 102 near the Hammonds Plains exit heading inbound.

Dozens of people took to social media to vent their frustration. One person said what is usually a30-minute commute took more than two hours.