Harbour Bridge Authority ad pressures governments for funding

The Saint John Harbour Bridge Authority has stepped up its campaign to get $35 million from the federal and provincial governments for bridge repairs.

It recently took out a full-page newspaper ad that urges both levels of government to accept responsibility and details the possible fallout if the 40-year-old bridge isn't repaired soon.

The ad warns that if the upcoming construction season is lost, it could compromise the integrity of the structure, resulting in weight restrictions being imposed.

'They have to decide what they're going to do, or they're going to be faced with a much bigger issue.' —Bob McDevitt, Harbour Bridge Authority

That would force transport trucks to use the Reversing Falls bridge instead, adding to their travel time and likely resulting in traffic snarls, particularly during rush hour, it suggests.

In addition, some traffic at the border may be diverted to the Houlton crossing, bypassing Saint John altogether, according to the ad, which is written in the form of a letter to citizens and signed by six commission members.

The cost of replacing the deck of the bridge could also "skyrocket," it states.

"They have to decide what they're going to do, or they're going to be faced with a much bigger issue," said Bob McDevitt, chairman of the authority that maintains and operates the bridge.

He contends the project is being stalled by partisan politics.

The federal and provincial governments are arguing about who should provide funding or guarantee a loan.

Saint John MP Rodney Weston is at the centre of the fight.  He promised to eliminate tolls in the last  federal election campaign and refuses to back down on that commitment.

But the province insists the 50-cent tolls are needed to pay down any loan. Saint John-Fundy MLA Stuart Jamieson has said the province would be willing to consider giving the bridge authority a $35 million loan guarantee, as long as neither the city nor the federal government want to see tolls removed.

"I know people say the Harbour Bridge couldn't get a loan because Rodney Weston said the tolls had to come off," said Weston. "Well come on. People have been talking about the tolls as long as the Harbour Bridge has been there."

In November, a bank turned down the bridge authority's loan application because neither the federal nor provincial government would act as a guarantor. It was previously turned down in March.

The bridge authority contends the federal and provincial governments need to put their differences aside because the bridge is a strategic asset to both of them.

It's a vital link in the Atlantic Transportation Gateway, which allows efficient movement of goods to the rest of Canada and the eastern seaboard of the United States, the group states.

The bridge also links the two parts of provincial Highway 1, which is undergoing millions of dollars in upgrades over the next few years.

"The time has come for those who depend on the bridge to transport goods to voice their concerns," the ad states.

But Jean-Marc Picard, executive director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association said he's not prepared to weigh in on the issue.

Vernon Seeley, of J.D. Irving Ltd.'s Sunbury Transport, also declined to comment.