Fix for flood-prone roads in Saint John could cost up to $100M, says mayor

A permanent solution for flood-prone roads in Saint John could cost up to $100 million, according to Mayor Don Darling.

He said the city wants to upgrade its infrastructure to mitigate damage from future floods but can't afford to do it alone.

"So we'll definitely have to be working with our provincial and federal partners to say, 'We're in a new world now, and what infrastructure needs to be upgraded, and how are we going to fund that infrastructure?'

"And I can assure the [citizens] in those impacted areas, that those roadways that were cut off again during this flood, are most definitely on the list."

Some of those include Westfield Road, Ragged Point Road, Bay Street and Randolph Island.

"The engineering and the technical elements will be reviewed and it will be part of our analysis, which is already well underway to discuss climate-impacted infrastructure," he said.

During the peak of the flooding, which saw water levels rise to 5.53 metres above sea level, the city used gravel to temporarily raise up Westfield Road and Ragged Point Road to prevent entire neighbourhoods from being cut off.

As the floodwaters recede and the city's focus shifts from flood response to flood recovery, the gravel is being removed.

On Thursday, water levels stood at 4.7 metres and are expected to return below flood levels, around 4.2 metres, on Sunday.

Darling said he's proud of the city's response to the flooding.

"I think we did learn a lot of lessons from [the flooding] last year. I think we did prepare. I think we were out proactively and I think that our plans went very well," he said, thanking the military, EMO staff and volunteers for their help.

"Having said that, we'll always learn. That's part of any incident like this, you always spend some time talking about what worked and what could be better. And we'll be even more prepared for next time."

Darling expects council to discuss the flooding, climate change and climate adaptation as early as Monday, during its regularly scheduled meeting.

"I think we have a climate emergency," he said.

Darling contends the days of once-in-a-generation floods are over, pointing to the significant flooding the city experienced in 1973, 2008, 2018 and again this year.

He believes it's time for the city to bring its infrastructure up to new standards, which, early estimates indicate could cost between $75 million and $100 million.

Upgrading a single road could cost as much as $20 million if the subbase needs to be rebuilt, he said. "So when you look at all of the infrastructure together that's been impacted, it can add up very, very quickly."

Darling noted the city is already partnering with the Atlantic Coastal Action Program in Saint John to work on a climate adaptation plan.

"We're hoping the community will embrace both a greenhouse gas reduction and an energy-use reduction plan for the city," as well as infrastructure upgrades, he said.

"The detail of all those plans, [I] can't speak to that in specifics, but those plans are underway."

Meanwhile, flood cleanup continues. Darling said it's important for get wet materials out of people's homes within 48 hours.

About 75 people have already volunteered to help. Anyone else who's interested can call the city or register online on the city's River Watch website.

The city will also offer special solid waste pickups on May 7, 9, 14 and 16, said Darling. Residents are asked to separate their waste into piles — sandbags, appliances, bagged garbage and flood debris.