Cosmetic job for Moncton's subway overpass to cost $573,000

Moncton will spend more than $573,000 for esthetic upgrades at the subway overpass, adding new lighting, brick sidewalks and fresh paint.

City councillors unanimously voted at a special meeting Thursday afternoon to award the contract worth $573,183, including tax, to Modern Construction Ltd. for work on the structure owned by CN where its railway crosses above Main Street.

The contract includes sidewalk improvements, paint, LED lighting, electrical, signs, planting trees and shrubs and new metal railings.

The spending won't address vehicles crashing into the low overpass.

The structure has a clearance of 11 feet, or about 3.3 metres, and tractor-trailers and recreational vehicles occasionally get jammed while trying to drive along Main Street.

Alcide Richard, Moncton's director of design and construction, said staff are looking at ways to reduce the risk of large vehicle-drivers getting stuck.

"It's not an easy one. We've looked at laser beams and lights," Richard said, adding staff hope to return to council with ideas by this fall.

"I find it hard to spend this much money and we don't have a concept to stop the damage being done," Coun. Bryan Butler said.

Richard said once the visual upgrades are done, the city will likely be required to cover maintenance costs while CN will remain responsible for the structure itself.

That worries Coun. Shawn Crossman, who voted in favour of the work.

"That's an icon in Moncton," Crossman said. "There's nothing wrong with investing, but it's an asset that's owned by CN." 

Crossman asked staff if CN will cover any of the cosmetic upgrade costs. 

"That's dialogue we're having with them at this moment," said Marc Landry, the city manager.

The city hopes the work will be completed before the downtown events centre opens in September.

"A safe and highly visible pedestrian corridor is required to create linkages to private and public parking areas in the downtown area," says a staff report to council.

The spending on the subway was not part of the $113-million cost of the 8,800-seat arena and outdoor plaza. 

Mayor Dawn Arnold described the appearance of the pedestrian portion of the subway as "Third World" in a May interview.

The staff report says the overpass installed in 1915 is considered structurally sound, though freezing and thawing have  caused concrete to chip and fall away. CN has paid to make repairs to the structure.

In the 1970s, the subway was painted pink with murals painted on panels underneath the structure.