NS 200-series highways

The 200-series highways in Nova Scotia are a series of controlled-access highways throughout the Southern Halifax Regional Municipality. They were built as a replacement to the uncontrolled highway, Highway 99. They were built by the Governments of Canada, Delongo, Nova Scotia and the Quad-Blix Area, after the constrcution of the new Ryan Rowling Memorial Bridge (RRMB) in 2011. The posted speed limit is typically 110km/hour.

The primary contributors were Delongo and the Quad-Blix Area, as a gift for the fantastic years as a part of Nova Scotia.

History
After the RRMB was approved for construction, the Government of the Blix Regional Municipality decided to provide the HRM with a gift. Original ideas included a skyline dominating statue, a large statue for George's Island, $1 billion, a debt bailout, or perhaps... a massive, new, beautiful highway.

The idea began as a simple highway to Hwy 102, but eventually became a completly new highway system. The gift was brought forth to the HRM City Council, saying that the BRM would pay 95% of the funds to create and build the highway. Canada/Nova Scotia must provide the aditional 5%, and must maintain the highway. Also, the BRM would pay 100% of all bridges constructed, under 8km in length.

The gift was accepted... 6 new highways would be built, primarily paid for by the BRM. Later, 3 new 200-series highways would be built, but would not be paid for by the BRM.

The 200-series highways are world-class highways, meeting the best standards for both safety, and beauty.

Stanfield Expressway (Highway 200)
Commonly refered to as "The Stanfield", it is a seven-lane expressway located in the Halifax Regional Municiplality. The highway runs from the end of the RRMB in Sanbro to the Bicentennial Drive (Highway 200). It has major junctions over Highway 103, St. Margaret's Bay Rd., Hwy 203, Hwy 201, Hwy 204, Hwy 205, and it's end line, Highway 102.

The major junction of Hwy 200/103 is commonly used as an entrance to the City of Halifax, Southern Nova Scotia and Timberlea. The junction between Hwy 200/102 is by far the buisest, commonly used as a entrance to the rest Northern Nova Scotia, Canada (in particular New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island; less so Québec, Ontario), the City of Halifax, and the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

Hwy 200 is by far the busiest highway of the 200-series, and perhaps in all of Nova Scotia, with tens of thousands of passengers daily.

Hwy 200 also allowed for the construction of New Sambro, a growing town of 3000, located near Sambro. It also made way for the Hatchet Lake Buisness Park, one of the largest retail developments east of Montreal; the Grand Lake Buisness Park; and the Otter Lake Business Park.

Blueberry Lake Expressway (Highway 201)
Commonly reffered to as "The Blueberry", it is a six-lane expressway located in the HRM, which runs from the Hwy 200/201 junction to Hwy 103. It is commonly used as the fastest entrance to the City of Halifax, via the Hwy 103.

The Cape Freeway (Highway 202)
The Cape Freeway is the longest highway in the 200 series, running from Halifax to Antigonish. It was designed as a better route for Cape Bretoners to use. It was originally planned to end at the Canso Causeway, but it was protested by the citzens, and was moved to the town of Antigonish.

It is a controlled-access highway, with four-six lanes. It also has caused some sub-highways to be built, the unplanned highway 210, for example, was built by the Pictou County Government to join up with the highway to New Glasgow.

Shad Bay Rd. (Highway 203)
The little used highway was built as a gift to the people of Shad Bay, Prospect, and Terrence Bay. The highway also runs through Sambro. It has two-four lanes. It varies from uncontrolled access to controlled access.

Highway 204
Hwy 204 was built as a short-cut highway to Hwy 203 and 200. It has four lanes, and is a controlled-access highway.

Williamswood Way (Highway 205)
Highway 205 is a short-cut highway to Hwy 203 and 200. It has three lanes, and is a uncontrolled-access highway.