With rush of travellers expected, Confederation Bridge prepared for safe, swift screenings

Regional visitors and seasonal residents are gearing up to enter the province on Friday morning as it is the first official day of the new Atlantic Bubble.

Officials at the Confederation Bridge don't know what to expect so they are preparing themselves for any type of scenario. 

"We don't know what we're getting into. And I guess nobody knows. So, we're erring on the side of caution.  So we'll have more staff around for sure, just to help out with traffic management and so on," says Michel Le Chasseur, general manager of Strait Crossing Bridge Ltd. 

Le Chasseur says his biggest concern is ensuring the safety of those crossing the bridge on Friday. 

"Obviously we have two checkpoints, one on each side of the bridge. And we are here in the middle and what we as the operator, what we do not want, is a backup of traffic on the bridge itself.  That's for everybody's safety," says Le Chasseur. 

To prepare for the day ahead, five separate screening lanes for regular vehicles coming off the bridge have been designated as well as an extra overflow lane on the road to Gateway Village. 

He says 40 provincial workers will be on site conducting screenings and accepting the traveller declaration forms with an additional amount of staff on-call if needed. 

Visitors must have declaration form ready

All visitors are required to print and fill out an online form one to two days before they arrive in P.E.I.

The form is a requirement to enter the province and will be verified at each point of entry. It is available on the government website.

Don Pendergast is a seasonal resident on P.E.I. He and his partner have been living in New Brunswick throughout the winter. They are planning to cross the bridge just after midnight on Friday, July 3. 

"We're just hoping the lineup for people like us is not too long, that we're not lined up all the way back to Port Elgin," Pendergast said.

Le Chasseur wants to avoid backups on the bridge as much as possible. If the flow of traffic does become too overwhelming, vehicles may need to be stopped from travelling until it is clear.

Safety is the biggest concern

The four Atlantic provinces first announced the decision to open an Atlantic Bubble on June 24.

All residents from within Atlantic Canada will not have to self-isolate for 14 days, but each person will be required to show proof of residency with a health card or drivers license as well as fill out a travel declaration form. 

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said based on the province's estimates and the flow of traffic "we think we should be able to process enough people per hour" that there shouldn't be any back up. 

The province is encouraging travellers to come through on off-peak hours in order to avoid back ups and maintain safety for all. 

"Our job here is free flow on the bridge and no safety issues. That's our concern. And, obviously, we have to work together with the provinces to ensure that we all get at the same place here," said Le Chasseur

"Everybody wants a good experience, a fast experience and a safe experience. Everybody wants that."

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