Washmill underpass

Halifax council approved a $4.5 million expenditure for the Washmill underpass project, bringing total cost of the project so far to $15.5 million, $5.5 million over budget. The project is “the biggest boondoggle in HRM’s history,” said councillor Gloria McCluskey, an assessment no one disagreed with. The underpass connects suburban Clayton Park to the big […]

[image-1] As we detailed two weeks ago, the Washmill underpass project, originally projected to cost $10 million, is an astonishing $8 million over budget. So far, $9,656,252 has been spent on the roadway, which now leads directly into a stone wall. The money needed to complete the road has yet to be allocated, but here’s who has been paid so far: Maritime Testing—environmental monitoring and slate management, $37,364. Servant Dunbrack—surveying, $12,205. SNC Lavalin—design work, wetland alteration application, construction inspection, $202,140 spent, with another $129,710 budgeted, for a potential total of $331,850. Brycon Construction—Phase 1 construction (detour road base, water retention,

[image-1] A major scandal is rocking Halifax City Hall. Some councillors want to fire Wayne Anstey, the city’s head bureaucrat. Councillors Gloria McCluskey and Mary Wile had a public screaming match Saturday at what was supposed to a staid and celebratory grand opening of the Canada Games Centre. Most important, council is left dealing with a staggering huge budget hole—$8 million added to an already huge $13 million—caused by a single bridge project that pits suburban development against downtown’s needs. At issue is a mundanely titled project called the Washmill Lake Court underpass, Washmill Lake Court being what’s now a