Blasting Complete, Rock Breaking Underway at QEII Halifax Infirmary Construction Site
A mobile crane (right) is used to build a tower crane at the Halifax Infirmary site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre on May 12. (Build Nova Scotia)
Site preparation for the new QEII Halifax Infirmary acute care tower has moved to the next phase with blasting complete, marking a milestone in the work.
The next step is mechanically breaking rock that is too close to the existing hospital for safe blasting. While rock breaking is noisy and may be disruptive at times, it is a necessary part of construction.
This work will take place at various times this spring and through the summer:
- rock breaking further from the hospital will happen between 6:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
- work closer to the hospital will not start until 3 p.m., allowing work to safely progress while limiting the impact on daytime clinical operations
- this week, until Friday, May 30, it will happen between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
- starting Monday, June 2, it will take place from 3 p.m. to midnight.
When complete, the new acute care tower will add 216 beds, 16 operating rooms, a 48-bed intensive care unit and an emergency department that is nearly twice the size of the current one. It will also have modern equipment, a satellite diagnostic imaging department in the emergency department, new and upgraded lab spaces and additional treatment spaces.
Quick Facts:
- the QEII Halifax Infirmary construction site is at Bell Road between Robie and Summer streets
- the expansion is part of More, Faster: The Action for Health Build, which allows construction of various healthcare projects to happen at the same time by breaking them into more manageable pieces
Additional Resources:
More, Faster: The Action for Health Build: https://buildns.ca/healthcare/more-faster-the-action-for-health-build/
QEII Halifax Infirmary Expansion Project: https://buildns.ca/healthcare/hiep/
News release – QEII Halifax Infirmary Expansion Enters Main Construction Phase: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/02/19/qeii-halifax-infirmary-expansion-enters-main-construction-phase
Action for Health: https://novascotia.ca/actionforhealth/