You report a pothole. But who's responsible for fixing it?
If it's on an HRM-maintained road: HRM 311.
If it's on a provincial highway: Nova Scotia Public Works.
If you report to the wrong one: Your report sits in limbo while the responsible agency never sees it.
SolveHFX automatically detects which authority manages your road. But you should understand the system.
HRM-Maintained Roads (Most Streets)
HRM maintains:
Most streets in Halifax proper (downtown, south end, north end)
Residential streets in Dartmouth, Bedford, Sackville, Spryfield
Urban arterials (Quinpool, Barrington, Spring Garden, Robie)
Local roads, parking lots, sidewalks
Report to: HRM 311
Provincial Highways (100-Series)
The province maintains:
Highway 102: (Truro to Halifax)
Highway 103: (Halifax to Yarmouth)
Highway 104: (Trans-Canada, Cape Breton)
Highway 118: (to Musquodoboit)
Some arterial routes outside the urban core
Report to: Nova Scotia Public Works (TPWPAFF@novascotia.ca)
The Gray Zone: Mixed Jurisdiction
Some roads are jointly maintained or transitioning. Examples:
Sackville Drive: Mixed, depending on segment
Highway 2 (Bedford Highway): Some sections are HRM, some are provincial
Rural roads near HRM boundary: Unclear ownership
SolveHFX handles this by checking coordinates against official HRM and provincial jurisdiction data. If it's ambiguous, you'll see a note on the map.
How SolveHFX Routes Your Report
1. You drop a pin on the map
2. GPS coordinates are checked against HRM district boundaries and provincial highway data
3. System determines authority: HRM, Province, or Halifax Transit
4. Report is routed appropriately to the right email or contact
5. You see which authority on the confirmation screen
Common Mistakes
Reporting a 102 pothole to HRM 311: HRM gets the report, notes it's not their road, forwards to the province or ignores it. Weeks of delay.
Reporting a downtown pothole to the province: Province tells you it's HRM's responsibility. You have to re-report to 311.
SolveHFX prevents both by automatically knowing which authority handles each road.
If You're Unsure
1. Use SolveHFX (it figures it out)
2. Check the map (it shows which authority)
3. When in doubt, go to HRM 311 first (they'll redirect you if needed)
4. Keep your reference number (if routed to province, include it in your new report)
The Controversial Part
Pargates (a Redditor) pointed out that HRM's jurisdiction is messy and not well-communicated to residents. They're right.
There are roads that are nominally "inside HRM" by address but actually maintained by the province. The boundaries are confusing.
SolveHFX solves this by using official data. But the data itself can be outdated.
If your report gets routed to the wrong place: Reply to the confirmation email and let us know. We update our jurisdiction data based on real-world reports.