Federal, N.B. governments investing nearly $15 million in Saint John Harbour Bridge

The federal government announced new money for Saint John Tuesday morning. A joint investment between the provincial and federal governments will mean nearly $15 million towards the Saint John Harbour Bridge.

Omar Alghabra, minister of transportation, said his government would also invest $2.8 million towards the Canada Border Services Agency to increase its operating capacity. The Saint John Port Authority also matched that investment.

Both levels of government noted that the expanding Port of Saint John has driven more traffic to the city of Saint John, and the funding will go toward that need.

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“These improvements will extend the life of the bridge and ensure the steady flow of goods between Saint John, Halifax and the U.S. state of Maine,” said Alghabra.

Saint John Rothesay MP Wayne Long said the money announced in Saint John would not go toward any additional costs towards the Harbour Bridge but rather toward “structural support and the ongoing cause.”

“We’ve lived the challenges of the Harbour Bridge.”

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New Brunswick’s then-transportation and infrastructure minister Jill Green told Global News in February 2022 that an estimated 37,000 motorists drive on the bridge daily.

Work is expected to resume in April, when crews will again divide the road into single-lane traffic in both directions.

Saint John Lancaster MLA and Social Development Minister Dorothy Shephard said the money will go toward phases 3 and 4, which are set to start in 2023 and 2024.

The Harbour Bridge is one of only two ways between the west end of Saint John and the other corridors in the city. The Reversing Falls Bridge has served as a secondary source when repairs and closures have halted eastern New Brunswick and Maine traffic.

Long told reporters that the Reversing Falls Bridge has its “challenges,” but like the Harbour Bridge, the municipal and provincial government would have to apply for the money.

The Harbour Bridge work is expected to be completed by 2026.