At 4,265' (1,300 m) and with a height of 338' (103 m), this suspension bridge is about 300' (100 m) longer than its partner, the A. Murray MacKay Bridge, which opened further up the harbour in 1970, doubtless to the relief of many a harried Haligonian. The Macdonald Bridge was designed by P.L. Pratley, also the architect of the Lion's Gate Bridge in Vancouver.
60 years of traffic are causing the bridge to now show its age, necessitating the replacement of the suspended sections of the bridge.
Operation Big Lift was carried out from 2015 to 2017, replacing the road deck, floor beams, stiffening trusses and suspender ropes on the suspended spans of the Macdonald Bridge.
Historic Significance: The bridge is an iconic structure of the Halifax area. It is the slightly smaller sibling of the Lions’ Gate Bridge in Vancouver. Both were designed by Pratley and fabricated and erected by Dominion Bridge. The main towers are very similar architecturally. Both have three traffic lanes with a reversible centre lane to accommodate rush hour traffic. Buckland & Taylor Ltd. designed the “Big Lift” main span replacements, which, as for the Lions’ Gate Bridge, were carried out incrementally during nighttime closures while remaining open to daytime traffic.
The bridge is named after Nova Scotia Premier Angus L. Macdonald (1890-1954), who had been instrumental in having the bridge built.
Plaque Location: Lat.: 44° – 40’ – 10” N.; Long.: 63° – 34’ – 39” W. (GPS: 44.66969,-63.57749). The plaque is located on the east side of the Halifax Harbour Bridges office building at 125 Wyse Road, on the Dartmouth side of the bridge.
Plaque Wording: National Historic Civil Engineering Site. CSCE. ANGUS L. MACDONALD BRIDGE. The Angus L. Macdonald Bridge was completed in 1955 and has come to be an iconic symbol of the Halifax-Dartmouth area. The bridge as designed by Philip Pratley, who also designed Lions’ Gate Bridge in Vancouver. The bridges have similar design, which is most notable in the towers. The total length of the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge is 1.3 km, including a 441 m main span which is 47 m above the harbour. At the time of its construction, it was the second longest suspension bridge in Canada. The bridge was originally constructed with two vehicle lanes and two sidewalks. The superstructure was converted to a three lane structure with a pedestrian walkway and bicycle lane in 1999. It features a reversible centre lane that optimizes the bridge’s traffic capacity. Engineer, original design, 1955 Philip L. Pratley. Canadian Society for Civil Engineering. 2014.
From the CSCE