Moirs Mill Bridge work to improve pedestrian safety

BEDFORD
By Aly Thomson - Special to The Weekly News
Pedestrians may soon feel safer crossing the Moirs Mill Bridge.
A tender has been issued by HRM to widen the Bedford bridge to make way for a bike lane and sidewalk.
The bridge has an eight-metre span and is 17 metres wide. The project will accommodate 1.5 metres of bike lane and another two metres for a sidewalk on the east side of the bridge.
The Bedford Highway crosses Moirs Mill Brook before the Moirs Mill Road intersection. The preliminary plans will mean the construction of a sidewalk and bike lanes from Moirs Mill Road to Convoy Run.
Late spring
Bedford Coun. Tim Outhit said council must look at the budget before any plans are approved. If everything goes accordingly, the proposal could be approved in late spring. He had no estimation of how long the project will take.
Outhit says David Miller and a group of Bedford residents have been working to advance this project for more than a decade. When Outhit was elected in May, he said Miller approached him and asked him to personally go down to the bridge.
"Sure enough, there were people walking on the side of the Bedford Highway," said Outhit.
"Some were even pushing baby carriages and their bikes against oncoming traffic. It was terribly unsafe. So I met with my staff and we decided something had to be done."
Outhit says the project was based upon wanting people to bike on the Bedford Highway and ensuring the safety of the walking residents of Bedford.
He said construction will congest the Bedford Highway, but with a higher cause in mind.
"I think we can sacrifice a little congestion for the safety of the residents of Bedford," says Outhit.
The project is still in the proposal stage. If a contract is awarded, there are crucial objectives and path plans outlined by HRM that must be completed before construction. A detailed design and typographic survey must be completed - and this is only the beginning. Outhit says he hopes construction will begin this summer, but if there are setbacks, the project will commence next summer.
The project will also allow for the construction of new railings on both sides of the bridge.
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