MacKay Bridge gets crucial deck panel replacement 

Halifax Harbour Bridges faced its highest profile maintenance challenge of the year with the installation of two new 10,000-kg deck panels on the A. Murray MacKay Bridge, a critical project needed to maintain this vital infrastructure. 

In the spring of 2023, inspections revealed cracks in the deck’s steel plating. Repairs were made at the time, while planning began to ensure the 18- by 32-foot sections would be replaced before cold weather set in.  

The installation required the MacKay be closed to traffic for two weekends while crews, including specialty workers from across Canada, worked around-the-clock to complete the project.  

A 100-tonne crane that took up nearly the entire width of the bridge was brought in to remove the deteriorated sections and replace them with new sections built by Cherubini Metal Works in Dartmouth.  Paving then smoothed out the roadway over the new panels.