The province will study the effects of time and storms on the Canso Causeway. (CBC)

The Canso Causeway, now more than half a century old, will soon be assessed with the latest scientific equipment to see how it has withstood the test of time, and what it needs to survive the wrath of climate change.

Sidescan and multi-beam sonar will be used by the province to make a new image of the causeway, Jamie Chisholm, of the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, said Wednesday.

It will provide a three dimensional picture of the rock slopes that anchor the causeway to the sea floor of the Strait of Canso, he said.

The multi beams of sound are a state-of-the-art scientific tool that will tell what the combination of time and the sea have done, Chisholm said.

The province is concerned about powerful storms causing erosion and debris on the road, he said, and damage to the armour stone along the sea walls. That poses a risk to vehicles, the road shoulder, the rail bed, and power and communications lines.

"When they built the causeway, they expected some movement and settling," Chisholm said.

"I guess what we are looking for is just to make sure there is nothing happening below the waterline, and if there is an area that throws up any concern, we would like to know now so we can address it."

Approximately 10,092,000 tonnes of rock were used to construct the 1.3-kilometre long causeway. It fills the Strait of to a depth of 65 metres, making it the deepest causeway in the world.

Opened in 1955, the causeway connects Cape Breton Island to mainland Nova Scotia, on the Trans-Canada highway.