MP defends Harbour Bridge repair delays

Saint John MP Rodney Weston is defending his government's delay approving the Harbour Bridge Authority's request for an outside loan to finance repairs.

The bridge needs $35 million in repairs on the decking and walls.

Although the bridge authority has secured a private lender, it needs permission from all three levels of government to proceed, according to the original agreement for the bridge, which dates back to the 1960s.

'Is it not reasonable to ask who you're borrowing the money from and at what terms, what is the interest rate, what's the term of the loan?' —Saint John MP Rodney Weston

This week, the federal government said it needs more information before deciding whether to allow the authority to borrow money to finance the repairs.

Bridge authority officials have suggested it's a stall tactic, but Weston said that's not the case.

"I have difficulty understanding the concern with providing further information," he said.

"Is it not reasonable to ask who you're borrowing the money from and at what terms, what is the interest rate, what's the term of the loan? And with the budget, why aren't you recognizing the $22.5 million that's outstanding as well? Why is that loan not taken into consideration?"

In a letter to the bridge authority dated March 8, Deputy Minister of Transport Yaprak Baltacioglu requested a detailed borrowing plan, including "the name of lender, the total loan amount, the interest rate, the duration, the repayment schedule, the guarantee and any other relevant information."

Transport Canada also wants the authority's $22 million debt repayment to the federal government to be included in its revised budget as a line item, as well as confirmation that toll revenues will cover both the bank loan and debt, Baltacioglu said.

Weston said he still wants to sit down with the province to work out a funding agreement for the Harbour Bridge, but could not say when that will happen.

Firm on toll pledge

Meanwhile, Weston is refusing to back down on an election pledge to remove tolls on the bridge, despite claims by authority officials that it's the root cause of delays.

"The number one thing holding up this project from going on, in my humble opinion, is the fact that there's been no movement on the stand to remove tolls on the bridge," said authority chairman Bob McDevitt.

Weston's pledge is viewed as a threat to the bridge's income and makes it difficult to secure financing, he said.

But Weston disagrees.

"The tolls aren't going to be removed without an agreement between the three levels of government, and how to proceed, and the debts would have to be taken care of," he said.

If the upcoming construction season is lost, it could compromise the integrity of the structure, resulting in weight restrictions being imposed, bridge authority officials have said.

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, a recent newspaper ad by the bridge authority suggests.

Any closures due to safety concerns would affect trucking routes to and from the United States, forcing truckers to spend extra time and gas using alternate routes, said Jean Marc Picard, executive director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association.

"We're on the sidelines just to see how it's going to pan out," he said. "It seems it's taken longer than anticipated I guess, to come to a common goal for the future of the bridge, so we're starting to ask some questions and obviously there are some concerns out there."

Trucks cross the bridge hundreds of times daily, Picard said.