Residents oppose St. Margaret's Bay connector

Opponents of a St. Margaret's Bay connector hope they've succeeded in putting up a road block on the proposed project.

At a public meeting earlier this month, many of the more than 200 residents in attendance told officials they don't want to see the $10-million road that would connect St. Margaret's Bay Road and Highway 103.

Ingramport resident Sean Kirby and others say the connector road will harm local businesses by diverting tourist and commuter traffic away. Others worry about what the road will do to the scenic coastal area.

"Just think of the thousands of people from the Halifax area who drive past Hubbards and Tantallon businesses each summer on their way to Queensland and other local beaches," said Kirby, who's behind the Protect the Bay campaign.

The connector road is proposed to be built somewhere between exits 5 and 6 of Highway 103, when that section is twinned next year.

Steve Myrden, co-owner of the Mariposa Natural Market and Cafe in Tantallon is one businessman worried about the potential impact.

"This connector road will significantly affect our ability - along with the ability of numerous businesses in our area - to keep our companies viable," Myrden said.

The June 9 public meeting, hosted by Chester-St. Margaret's MLA Denise Peterson-Rafuse, did not just bring out naysayers.

Emergency personnel said a connector road would provide quicker access to those in need.

Transportation Minister Bill Estabrooks said while the highway will be twinned between exits 5 and 6, there has been no decision made on a proposal to construct a new interchange/connector road on that stretch. Five potential routes connecting the highway to St. Margaret's Bay Road have been identified.

Estabrooks said the stretch of road that will be twinned between exits 5 and 6 is about 22 kilometres long. He said it's common for an interchange to be constructed in a stretch of road of that length.

Estabrooks said residents will be invited to a follow-up meeting in the fall, and a decision will be made in the new year.

Estabrooks said if the community is not interested in having a connector road, the department can put one somewhere else.

"There are requests from a number of other communities, like along the 104, who want a connector road, and there's a request in the Windsor area for an interchange and connector road," he said. "Communities lobby for these."

Kirby said if other communities want the money that was to spent in his area for their own connector road, they can have it, or the money can be put toward health care or any other project needing funding.

"We hope he will spend this $10-million on something more important than a new road the community doesn't want or need," Kirby said.

kmoar@hfxnews.ca