Miramichiers call for clarity after latest delay to Centennial Bridge project

CBC
·3 min read
The Centennial Bridge over the Miramichi River is undergoing a major refurbishment project. (Shane Magee/CBC - image credit)
The Centennial Bridge over the Miramichi River is undergoing a major refurbishment project. (Shane Magee/CBC - image credit)

The full closure of the Centennial Bridge in Miramichi, a significant link between the province's north and south, is being pushed back by another year.

Residents in the northeastern New Brunswick city had been bracing for backed-up traffic, longer commutes and changes to police and fire services with only one other bridge available. But they learned last week that the province is postponing the construction work requiring the closure.

Miramichi Mayor Adam Lordon said the community had a plan in place, including adapting police, fire and transit services. With another delay, he said he wants clarity on the timeline.

"This project was actually originally slated to be completed years ago, and I think the community is maybe getting a bit tired of living with uncertainty," he said.

Miramichi Mayor Adam Lordon is calling on the provincial government to take a leadership role when it comes to permanent shelters for people experiencing homelessness.
Miramichi Mayor Adam Lordon is calling on the provincial government to take a leadership role when it comes to permanent shelters for people experiencing homelessness.

Miramichi Mayor Adam Lordon says he's looking for clarity on the long-term timeline for the Centennial Bridge project. (Alexandre Silberman/CBC)

The province is in the middle of a major $100-million refurbishment of the bridge, including work already done on the piers, which was previously expected to wrap up by 2025. The work is being funded by both the federal and provincial governments.

The Centennial Bridge was initially slated to see three summers of full closures between 2023 and 2025. But last year, the Department of Transportation and infrastructure postponed work because of issues with construction materials and the supply chain.

WATCH | 'It's extremely disappointing': Miramichiers react to bridge delays:

Spokesperson Jacob MacDonald said a further delay will happen again in 2024, to minimize closures and prevent further disruption to traffic.

"The decision to delay the total closure of the bridge will allow for further planning and preparation to mitigate travel inconveniences to the community," he said in an email.

The 1.1-kilometre bridge, which opened in 1967, is one of two links between the two sides of Miramichi.

The refurbishment project includes work on the steel frame, foundation and new concrete decking or roadway. It will also include a new sidewalk, after residents pushed back against an initial plan that did not include pedestrian access.

Paula Foley helped advocate for an active transportation route. She said the news of the delay is "extremely disappointing."

"We're in the north. We're not Moncton, Fredericton, Saint John, and those regions always seem to be getting the upgrades. And it's just OK here in Miramichi," she said.

"Definitely it's not acceptable."

A screenshot from an animation showing the new sidewalk along the Centennial Bridge with a ramp rising from Water Street on the south side of the Miramichi River.
A screenshot from an animation showing the new sidewalk along the Centennial Bridge with a ramp rising from Water Street on the south side of the Miramichi River.

A screenshot from an animation showing the new sidewalk along the Centennial Bridge, with a ramp rising from Water Street on the south side of the Miramichi River. (Government of New Brunswick)

Businesses on both sides of the Miramichi River, particularly in areas near the bridge, had been anticipating a complicated summer and a potential drop in customers.

Patti Somers, executive director of the Greater Miramichi Chamber of Commerce, said the news is good in the short term — but the challenges have only been pushed back.

"It's going to cause a lot of congestion on the King George Highway and the other routes around. And one bridge alone would be difficult," she said.

Somers said it could mean challenges for employees getting to work and some businesses might adapt their hours.

"Hopefully this delay in closure is going to give the city more time to make proper plans and the province more time to make better plans going forward," she said.

Patti Somers is executive director of the Greater Miramichi Chamber of Commerce. She says an eventual total closure of the bridge will be challenging for businesses.
Patti Somers is executive director of the Greater Miramichi Chamber of Commerce. She says an eventual total closure of the bridge will be challenging for businesses.

Patti Somers is executive director of the Greater Miramichi Chamber of Commerce. She says an eventual total closure of the bridge will be challenging for businesses. (Alexandre Silberman/CBC)

The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure has yet to provide a revised timeline for the Centennial Bridge refurbishment project.

Lordon said he has asked to meet with the province to get more details. He said the eventual full closure will be "incredibly inconvenient," but it's an essential part of completing the project.

"I think from this point what we'd like to have is just a sense of that timeline of when this project will be completed, and how. So we can plan for those closures, whenever they will be. But also so we can anticipate when it will all be done," he said.