Fredericton bridge reopening delayed to October

The re-opening of Fredericton's Princess Margaret Bridge has been pushed back to mid-October.

The crossing was scheduled to be back in use Sept. 5, but has been delayed. Officials blamed bad weather.

Krista MacDonald from the Department of Transportation announced the delay Thursday at City Hall.

"There are several critical paths going on at the same time to meet a schedule. There have been various work items that have been unable to proceed in wet weather. That has caused a serious challenge for SNC Lavalin," she said.

MacDonald said the project is still on budget at $77.4 million. She asked the public for patience as the project is completed.

Ken Dean of SNC-Lavalin, the company working on the bridge, said heavy rain this summer has slowed construction work.

"We've had a lot of wet weather — I think 89 days since the beginning of the project of precipitation, which is very detrimental to our work. It certainly has backed us up," he said.

The bridge was closed at the beginning of May. The 52 -year-old structure needed a complete overhaul, including a new deck and traffic barriers.  

All the official updates had indicated the September deadline would be met.

"A week or so ago, it became apparent that we were not going to meet our target, Sept. 5, and it was time to inform the public," Dean said.

If the wet weather continues into the fall, the bridge could remain closed for longer.

Contractors said they're confident it will be completed this year.