Repairs stalled for Saint John Harbour Bridge amid uncertainty

Wrangling over tolls and ownership may have killed reconstruction on the Saint John Harbour Bridge this summer, according to the manager of the bridge authority.

Work on the bridge decking and walls was to have employed 90 people, but Ken Anthony, the manager of the bridge authority, said he can't borrow the $35 million needed to complete the project. 

He said the banks want to know where the bridge is going to get cash flow considering the uncertainty over its future.

"With the risk involved, they wanted some guarantees from the government, which weren't forthcoming," he said. "So then there was the whole issue of whether the tolls were going to stay on, which didn't help."

During last fall's federal election, Conservative MP Rodney Weston promised to remove the bridge tolls. There have also been discussions about transferring ownership to the provincial government.

None of this speculation, according to Anthony, is helping the bridge authority line up the money needed for its necessary projects.

Repair money could come from Ottawa: Weston

Weston said a loan guarantee wouldn't be required if construction is paid for by the federal government.

"The economic stimulus plan calls for projects that can be completed within a two-year time-frame … and this project certainly fits that description," Weston said.

The Saint John Conservative MP said the work can be done without tolls.

However, Anthony is less optimistic because he said no one wants to own and maintain the bridge.

In fact, he predicts in five years the bridge will still have tolls, despite the political promises, only they will be higher than the current 50 cents.