Nova Scotia Highway 102

The highway parallels the route of its predecessor, Trunk 2, and was developed in stages from the 1949 to the 1970s. Initially, some sections were controlled access two-lane, as well as four-lane. The route has also changed somewhat, particularly during the mid-1970s when the last part to be constructed resulted in the bypass of Shubenacadie and Stewiacke.

The initial speed limit on the highway was 100 km/h (60 mph) until 1997, when it was raised to 110 km/h (70 mph) for the section between the interchange with Highway 118 (approximately km 26) and exit 13A at Millbrook (approximately km 92). South of Highway 118 and north of Millbrook, the highway retains its original 100 km/h speed limit.

From the 1970s to the early 1990s, Highway 102 was actively patrolled by the RCMP using aerial surveillance for speed limit violations. The aerial surveillance program was restarted in 2005.

The original portion of the highway from Bayers Road to Fall River was opened in October 1958, the bicentennial year of the First General Assembly of Nova Scotia (1758); as such, it is the oldest section of controlled access highway in Atlantic Canada. This portion of the highway was officially named Bicentennial Drive, but it has become known as the "Bicentennial Highway", often shortened to "Bi-Hi", even in official documents.

New ramps connecting the highway to Dutch Village Road (now Joseph Howe Drive) were opened on 24 November 2001. The ramps formerly exited onto Westerwald Street, and were rebuilt and realigned at a cost of $2 million.[3]

A new interchange at Larry Uteck Boulevard (designated Exit 2B) was opened in October 2010 between Exits 2 (Kearney Lake Road) and 3 (Hammonds Plains Road).[4] It was built at a cost of $24.4 million.[5] It has since been connected on the west side of the interchange to Kearney Lake Road. This is the first major interchange to be built on Highway 102 since the mid-1990s and is intended to serve the rapidly growing community of Bedford South and the future area of Bedford West. The interchange is based on the traditional diamond layout but uses roundabouts instead of signalized intersections. As part of this project, Larry Uteck Boulevard was extended to the new interchange and now provides a direct connection between Highway 102 and Bedford Highway, serving new residential retail areas.

An underpass beneath Highway 102 between Dunbrack Street and Lacewood Drive, built to link the Fairview neighbourhood with Bayers Lake Industrial Park, opened to traffic on 9 December 2011.[6]

The highway follows a 102-kilometre (63 mi) route through the central part of the province linking Highway 103, Highway 101, and Highway 118 to Highway 104, the Trans-Canada Highway.

The entire highway is a divided four-lane freeway, with the exception of a five-lane (three lanes northbound) section between the Highway 118 interchange at Miller Lake and a point between exits 6 and 7 near the Halifax International Airport at Enfield. This three-lane northbound section is not a result of particularly high traffic volumes; rather, it is a relic of the previous configuration of this section of Highway 102. Previously, the section from Fall River to near Enfield was a three-lane undivided section, including a centre passing lane favouring northbound traffic. When the highway was twinned, the three lanes were left in place for northbound traffic. Portions of Highway 102 south of the Halifax International Airport pass through several microclimates and are notorious for frequent variations in visibility due to fog caused by elevation changes.[7]

Highway 102 near Halifax was the subject of a 2009 study called Highway 102 Corridor Study which examined the performance of the existing highway and projected which upgrades will be required in the future.

The proposed Highway 113 would create a new interchange between Larry Uteck Boulevard (Exit 2B) and Hammonds Plains Road (Exit 3). Highway 113 is intended to be a connector from Highway 102 to Highway 103, serving as a bypass to the heavily traveled Hammonds Plains Road (Route 213). Highway 113 is not yet budgeted and in addition some opposition has been mounted due to the route proposed.

Highway 102/Highway 103/Dunbrack Street Interchange Project

Between 2018 and 2020, the interchange underwent a $20 million upgrade. The project included replacement of the Highway 103 overpass across Highway 102, minor northbound ramp realignments, major reconfiguration of southbound ramps, installation of new lighting, and installation of a tunnel beneath Highway 103.

Construction began with clear cutting in early 2018, with construction of the new, 4-lane overpass and tunnel commencing shortly thereafter. The new overpass and tunnel were constructed next to the old overpass to minimize traffic disruption. The interchange was closed between December 6-8, 2019 to demolish the old overpass.

On March 19, 2020, the new tunnel beneath Highway 103 opened, marking the completion of the southbound ramp reconfiguration. Ramps on the northbound side of Highway 102 were only realigned slightly to align with the new overpass. Ramps on the southbound side of Highway 102 saw a larger reconfiguration. Exit 1D to Dunbrack street on Highway 102 was closed, replaced by access via Exit 1A and the new tunnel. Access to Highway 102 southbound from Highway 103 is accessed by a realigned Exit 1B which passes over the tunnel. Access to Dunbrack street from Highway 103 is now accessed directly by a new Exit 1D which merges with the output of the tunnel.

Congestion

Traffic volumes on Highway 102 between Highway 101 and Bayers Road vary between 40,000 and 53,000 vehicles per day. Many motorists still prefer using the older 2-lane Bedford Highway (Trunk 2), which in comparison has volumes between 18,000 and 25,000 vpd and operates at or near 100% capacity through much of its length during peak periods.

From south to north:

County	Location	km[1]	mi	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Halifax	Halifax	0.0	0.0		Bayers Road, Mailing Street	At grade; official Hwy 102 southern terminus[2]
		0.5	0.31	0	Joseph Howe Drive	Inbound exit; outbound entrance
		1.9	1.2	1D	Dunbrack Street (Trunk 32)	No southbound exit; exits 1K/1H on Trunk 32; Trunk 32 is unsigned
		2.7	1.7	1A	Hwy 103 west (Lighthouse Route) to Trunk 3 / Route 333 – Peggys Cove, Yarmouth, Dunbrack Street
					Dunbrack Street (Trunk 32)	Southbound exit only
		5.1	3.2	2A	Lacewood Drive — Bayers Lake
		8.1	5.0	2	Kearney Lake Road
		10.1	6.3	2B	Larry Uteck Boulevard
	Bedford	13.1	8.1	3	Hammonds Plains Road (Route 213)	Northbound signed as exits 3A (east) and 3B (west)
		17.0	10.6	4A	Trunk 1 east (Bedford Highway) to Trunk 2 / Trunk 7 – Dartmouth	Exits 1G/1H on Hwy 101
				4B	Hwy 101 / Trunk 1 west (Evangeline Trail) – Lower Sackville, Windsor
		18.4	11.4	4C	Duke Street / Glendale Avenue
	Fall River	25.2	15.7	5	Trunk 2 / Route 318 – Waverley, Fall River, Wellington	Northbound access to Hwy 118
		25.5	15.8	—	Hwy 118 south to Hwy 107 / Hwy 111 – Dartmouth, Halifax	Southbound exit, northbound entrance
	​	32.3	20.1	5A	Route 212 (Aerotech Drive)
		35.6	22.1	6	Halifax Stanfield International Airport
	Enfield	41.0	25.5	7	Trunk 2 – Enfield, Oakfield, Wellington
Hants	Elmsdale	47.9	29.8	8	Route 214 – Lantz, Windsor
	Milford	58.2	36.2	9	Trunk 14 / Route 224 – Shubenacadie, Rawdon
	Shubenacadie	65.2	40.5	10	Route 215 – Noel Shore, Maitland
Colchester	Stewiacke	71.1	44.2	11	To Trunk 2 – Alton
	Brookfield	84.4	52.4	12	Route 289 to Trunk 2 – Hilden, Upper Stewiacke
	Millbrook First Nation	93.6	58.2	13A	Treaty Trail / Tower Road
	Truro	96.2	59.8	13	To Trunk 2 / Truro Heights Connector Road
		98.2	61.0	14	Trunk 2 south (Glooscap Trail) / Route 236 west (Robie Street) – Bible Hill, Lower Truro	South end of Trunk 2 concurrency
	Onslow	99.6	61.9	14A	Trunk 2 north (Glooscap Trail) / Route 311 / Trunk 4 – Tatamagouche, Masstown	Northbound exit, southbound entrance; north end of Trunk 2 concurrency
		100.8	62.6	15	Hwy 104 (TCH) – Amherst, New Brunswick, New Glasgow, Cape Breton	Signed as exits 15E (east) and 15W (west); exit 15 on Hwy 104
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access