Windmill Road Functional Plan

Background

Windmill Road is a key north-south roadway that extends between several communities and destinations, including Downtown Dartmouth and Burnside Industrial Park, with key regional roadway connections to Highway 111, the MacKay Bridge, and Trunk 7 (Magazine Hill).

The Regional Centre Municipal Planning Strategy (i.e. the Centre Plan) has enabled considerable development along Windmill Road, setting the stage for the area to transform into a mixed-use neighborhood and complete community.

To support this growth, the municipality is completing a Functional Plan for Windmill Road that will inform how the corridor is rebuilt over time.

What is happening?

The municipality is planning on making changes to Windmill Road between Wyse Road and just north of Akerley boulevard. This project will develop a long-term vision for Windmill Road that will inform how it gets rebuilt in the next few years. This project aims to transform Windmill Road into a safe, comfortable and enjoyable street for people of all ages and abilities, using a variety of transportation modes, and in all seasons.

Why is this happening?

With recent population growth and regional planning towards one million residents, it is critical to develop a long-term vision for the Windmill Road corridor to meet current and future mobility needs.

Planning for growth

In recent years, the area around the Windmill Road corridor has seen significant development activity. In spring 2024, Halifax Regional Council approved zoning amendments to the Land Use Bylaws for most lands along Windmill Road as part of the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) initiative. The anticipated densification along Windmill Road offers an opportunity to reimagine how the street functions.

Development intensification also provides opportunities to integrate street improvements into development-related street renewal, providing cost synergies and reducing construction disruption. With several impending developments on the horizon, a functional plan will be critical to successfully integrate improvements to Windmill Road with ongoing development and avoid missed opportunities.

Burnside Connector

The Highway 107 Extension (Burnside Expressway) is a new four-lane divided highway that will extend 8.7 km between Highway 102 (near Duke Street), Burnside Industrial Park, and Highway 118. The expected completion of the Burnside Expressway in 2024 is anticipated to significantly increase traffic capacity and decrease travel time between the Bedford/Sackville area and the Burnside Industrial Park. The parallel capacity provides an opportunity to reimagine the right-of-way on Windmill Road to better accommodate non-auto modes, in accordance with the policies and objectives of the Integrated Mobility Plan.

Policy context:

Several plans and policies make clear HRM’s intent to continue to invest in Windmill Road as an important piece of the regional transportation network. Portions of Windmill Road or streets adjacent to Windmill Road have been identified as Transit Priority corridors, or ‘All Ages and Abilities’ (AAA) bicycle routes in the Regional Centre bikeway network, including Alderney Drive, Shore Road, Lyle Street, and Farrell Street. Key plans supporting the long-term vision for Windmill Road include:

Active Transportation Priorities Plan (2014):

designated Windmill Road between the Macdonald Bridge and Wright Avenue as a candidate bicycle route where cycling facilities are desired.

Halifax Transit’s Moving Forward Together Plan (2016): identified a new transit terminal (i.e., Wrights Cove Terminal) along Windmill Road. This terminal could serve as a hub for transit routes into and through the Burnside Business Park. This terminal is expected to be operational within the next few years.

Integrated Mobility Plan (2017): provides direction to explore opportunities to prioritize active transportation and/or transit within corridors where total road capacity is increased through the construction or expansion of a parallel roadway (Action 124). The impending opening of the Burnside Expressway provides an opportunity to reimagine Windmill Road.

Rapid Transit Strategy (2020): identified a future Ferry Terminal within the Shannon Park neighborhood to support the anticipated population growth in the area.

Functional planning process

In an effort to consider the various possibilities in terms of multimodal accommodation (pedestrians, bicycles, transit, goods movement and automobile), land use planning, and urban design, the municipality’s Transportation Planning team is undertaking a functional planning and design process for the Windmill Road corridor that is intended to guide future growth.

Learn more

To learn more about the project:

• Ask a Question: Use the “Ask a Question” tab (below) to ask a project team member a question.
• Email: Reach out to the project manager directly at: Leen.Romaneh@halifax.ca