eft to right: Peter Gaulton, Board Chair for the Saint John Port Authority, Saint John MP Rodney Weston, New Brunswick Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Claude Williams and Saint John Mayor Mel Norton.
SAINT JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICK – Rodney Weston, Member of Parliament for Saint John, on behalf of the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport, along with the Honourable Claude Williams, New Brunswick Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, today called the newly completed Saint John Harbour Bridge in New Brunswick an example of cooperation in building a stronger future.
“A safe and reliable bridge that helps connect to the region's busiest Canada-United States border crossing will strengthen the Atlantic Gateway, providing benefits to the transportation industry and other regional businesses, which helps create jobs over the long term,” said MP Weston. “Investments like this by the Government of Canada help our economy remain strong and competitive.”
“The Saint John Harbour Bridge serves as a major transportation link for the province and the port city,” Minister Williams said. “The rehabilitation of this important strategic infrastructure will support and promote economic growth and development in the port city for many years to come, while also providing an improved and upgraded bridge crossing for the travelling public. It is another example of how we are working together with our partners to rebuild New Brunswick for a stronger economy and a stronger future.”
The Saint John Harbour Bridge consisted of rehabilitating the bridge deck, installing a new median, new barrier walls, new lighting and drainage systems, and finally, paving and line-painting the bridge road. The project also included the removal of the toll booths and other toll related infrastructure, as well as a reconfiguration to the Route 1 highway lanes at the west end of the bridge. These upgrades improve safety and lengthen the lifespan of the structure. The removal of tolls speeds up both commuting time and the flow of goods and services through the city and region.
The Saint John Harbour Bridge is part of a key interprovincial and international corridor linking the region’s busiest border crossing to the United States with southern New Brunswick and the other Atlantic Canadian provinces. Situated at the mouth of the Saint John River, the bridge has approximately 27,500 vehicles crossing it daily, making the Saint John Harbour Bridge an essential commercial and commuting link in the region.
The $40-million project was jointly funded by the governments of Canada and New Brunswick. The Government of Canada contributed $17.5 million from the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund. The Province of New Brunswick is contributing the remaining funds.
The Saint John Harbour Bridge supports Atlantic Canada’s efforts to become a preferred gateway and trade corridor for goods and people coming into and leaving North America.
Under the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund, Canada is investing more than $250 million in transportation infrastructure projects supporting the Atlantic Gateway and Trade Corridor.
Canada’s Atlantic Gateway and Trade Corridor is the shortest all-water route between North America’s East Coast and markets in Europe and Asia, via the Suez Canal. Double-stack rail service provides a direct link to Chicago in 72 hours, and a two-hour fly zone connects the Atlantic Gateway to Montreal, Toronto, Boston and New York.
More information on Canada’s Atlantic Gateway can be found at www.atlanticgateway.gc.ca.
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Ashley Kelahear
Communications
Office of the Minister of Transport
613-991-0700
Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055
Judy Cole
Communications
New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure
506-453-5634
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