Advertisement

‘This is historic’: New Petitcodiac River bridge opens

Click to play video: 'Bridge between Moncton and Riverview reopens'
Bridge between Moncton and Riverview reopens
WATCH: A main crossing from Moncton to Riverview has reopened after more than six months of shutdown. The $61-million bright across the Petitcodiac River has replaced the shuttered causeway. As Callum Smith reports, the completion of the project marks a significant milestone – Sep 17, 2021

A ribbon-cutting marked the opening of a long-awaited crossing for people looking to go between Moncton and Riverview.

Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold says having the 240-metre bridge open after the former causeway was closed for more than five months — forcing commuters to use the Gunningsville Bridge — is a “historic” moment.

The river channel is about 175 metres wide, restoring the previously cut off tidal flow.

It’s been a decades-long fight for some environmentalists.

“It’s certainly a really meaningful day, but especially for the environmental advocates who have championed the project to restore the Petitcodiac River tidal bore to what it was when the causeway was first created more than 50 years ago,” says Riverview Mayor Andrew LeBlanc.

LeBlanc says the construction has impacted local commute times and businesses.

Story continues below advertisement

The whole project has a price tag of $121 million, with nearly $62 million for the bridge itself.

The route closed April 5 and was expected to last six months.

The structure is the second-last piece of the project, according to Transportation Minister Jill Green.

More work will happen near the traffic circle — connecting the bridge to Wheeler Boulevard, Salisbury Road, and Main Street — on the Moncton side.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“It’s going to be slope work, working where the old landfill used to be, still working on some of the dikes and the aboiteaux related to the construction project,” Green tells Global News.

Some people are just pleased the bulk of the construction work is complete.

“It’s going to be nice not to have the loud noise when I try to sleep in the daytime,” says Amanda Campbell, who lives near the bridge. “I work night shift.”

Riverview Tire Services owner Fen Mabey has had a countdown sign for motorists along Coverdale Road.

Story continues below advertisement

“We started at 179 days,” he says.

People have continued to ask him, “how many days are left?”

“[Monctonians] like to come over and visit their parents and stuff and they’re used to coming across the causeway, and it adds about 20 minutes to their run so even the people in Moncton are very excited about it being open,” he says.

The project didn’t cause nearly the disruption he expected, Mabey says.

Some are pleased congestion will decrease, even those like business owner Wayne Springer, who says he kept his same client base from Moncton, despite the inconveniences.

“What [the project] does,” he says, “[it] separates the traffic coming in here so it smooths things out, separates them a little bit better and they don’t all impact at once.”
A number of anti-vaccine passport and anti-Trudeau protesters appeared at the event, despite the fact that the Liberal Party leader wasn’t even in attendance. Callum Smith / Global News

In the background, a crowd of angry anti-vaccine passport protesters appeared, with some shouting “Trudeau must go” at an event without the federal Liberal Party leader.

Story continues below advertisement

Others could be heard repeatedly shouting “freedom” and “no vax pass.”

 

Sponsored content

AdChoices