The governments of Canada and New Brunswick, along with the Saint John Port Authority , announced over $17 million in funding for two projects under the National Trade Corridors Fund.
The Government of Canada will contribute:
- Up to $7.3 million for the remaining phases to rehabilitate the Saint John Harbour Bridge in Saint John, New Brunswick. The upgrades will extend the life of the bridge and support commercial movements. The New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is contributing up to $7.7 million, for a total investment of nearly $15 million.
- Up to $2.8 million to provide additional space for the Canada Border Services Agency to carry out its inspection activities for cargo arriving at the Port of Saint John. The project is expected to eliminate current congestion by allowing the Port of Saint John to handle the growing volume of containers. The Saint John Port Authority is contributing $2.8 million towards the project, for a total investment of $5.6 million.
“These projects represent a great opportunity to increase New Brunswick’s trade capacity and alleviate the congestion issues the region is currently experiencing,” said federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra. “By investing in infrastructure projects like these, we will improve the movement of goods through Canada’s transportation networks and strengthen Canada’s supply chains.”
The Saint John Harbour Bridge, a major transportation link on Route 1, is one of the largest structures currently maintained by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.
“The Saint John Harbour Bridge represents a critical piece of infrastructure along a major transportation link that is vital to the movement of goods and people through our province and beyond,” said New Brunswick Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Jeff Carr. “We want to ensure we are doing all we can to manage our infrastructure and that includes working in partnership with the federal government, one of our key stakeholders, on upgrades to the bridge.”
The ongoing upgrades will extend the life of the bridge.
“This funding announcement is a testament to the capacity for growth at the Port of Saint John, and will serve as a catalyst to bring us closer to reaching our target of 800,000 TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit). The improvements made possible by this funding will continue to encourage private sector investment, keep the supply chain moving, and create hundreds of jobs,” said Craig Bell Estabrooks, president and CEO, Port Saint John.
Featured image: From left: Social Development Minister Dorothy Shephard; federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra; and Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long. (Government of New Brunswick)
