Marine Atlantic said it would add an extra commercial crossing to its ferry schedule on Friday as it tries to clear a backlog of traffic that has built up since Tuesday.
High winds in the Cabot Strait cancelled all departures on the run between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland on Wednesday and Thursday, stranding passenger and commercial truck traffic in ports in North Sydney and Port aux Basques.
“We were advised by our captains that the weather forecast will improve by lunchtime today, so they are going to load for an 11:45 a.m. departure out of both ports,” said company spokesman Darrell Mercer.
READ MORE: High winds in Cabot Strait cancel Marine Atlantic ferry crossings
Mercer said with stabilized weather the ferry service should be able to clear the majority of its passenger backlog.
“The passenger traffic shouldn’t be an issue for us,” he said. “It’s simply the commercial volumes right now.”
Mercer said there is a significant number of trucks waiting to return to the mainland, while there are about 150 to 200 loaded trucks waiting to head for Newfoundland.
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“If we can get the three sailings in today and another sailing in tomorrow morning (Saturday) then we should be able to address that backlog.”
However, with more bad weather in the forecast for the weekend, Mercer said the company has contacted customers to let them know there could be further delays.
He said Marine Atlantic wants to give customers a chance to assess their plans and adjust their travel schedules accordingly during the busy Christmas period.
“Giving them that option of taking an earlier crossing will work for some people, I know it won’t work for everyone,” said Mercer. “But looking at their own individual travel circumstance they can make that educated decision.”
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