Saint John Harbour Bridge will go through brief shutdowns, but at night only

Mark Leger · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 10, 2025 5:32 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 10

For years now, concern has slowed down betwixt April and November astatine Doiron Sports Excellence connected the westbound broadside of Saint John due to the fact that of the rehabilitation enactment connected Harbour Bridge. 

Since 2021, the span has been reduced to 1 lane successful each direction, causing postulation jams during highest hours connected some the Harbour Bridge and the alternate way that goes implicit the Reversing Falls Bridge to the westbound side.

"Every clip it happens, postulation present slows down. People debar the area. You tin spot it by the magnitude of radical that travel into the store," said proprietor Marc Doiron, who cast his eyes astir the astir bare shop at astir 4 p.m. connected a Wednesday.

Doiron says the four-phase rehabilitation project, which is scheduled to beryllium competed successful 2027, creates postulation delays that impact everyone who relies on the bridge, from commuters to schoolhouse buses to shoppers and transportation vehicles. 

Now Doiron's disquieted it's going to get adjacent worse aft the state announced earlier this week that the full span would beryllium unopen down for abbreviated periods of clip during off-peak hours.

"If they really halt the postulation fully, I deliberation the metropolis volition unopen down for an hr to 2 hours due to the fact that of the postulation backups," helium said.

The state is present saying the afloat shutdowns of the span volition instrumentality spot from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. to minimize disruptions to businesses and residents.

WATCH | 'It conscionable makes beingness harder for everybody,' says store owner: 

On Monday, the metropolis posted a little announcement connected its website from the province's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, which said the Harbour Bridge would adjacent for little periods — astir 20 minutes — during off-peak hours betwixt present and November.

At the time, the state didn't specify erstwhile oregon however often these closures would instrumentality place, which caused choler and disorder from country residents and concern owners similar Doiron, who aired his frustrations successful a Facebook post.

Doiron said the metropolis and the state should revisit the program with a absorption connected making things easier for businesses and residents. He said they should bash applicable things specified as consider nighttime work, erstwhile astir radical are location and businesses are closed. 

He besides said they should amended pass with the nationalist and show a "genuine understanding" of the impacts connected residents and the economy.

Doiron's plea resonated with people, with the station generating much than 150 comments and astir 600 shares.

Mayor Donna Reardon shared his concerns and said the Reversing Falls Bridge isn't an capable alternative.

"There's nary mode to transverse the Saint John River but via a bridge," Reardon said.

"We bash not person immoderate ferries that are crossing that stream to get from the westbound broadside of the metropolis implicit to the eastbound broadside of the city. It's imperative that we person a bully crossing determination and that we person that span fixed up.

"The Reversing Falls span is there, but it's a smaller span with lone 1 lane eastbound and west. And you person to transverse done the infamous Simms corner, which has 2 oregon 3 trains crossing done it regular and tin clasp postulation up importantly arsenic well."

Reardon said the metropolis talks to the Department of Transportation astir large projects similar this, but yet scheduling decisions are made by the state successful consultation with the contractor.

Like Doiron, Reardon wondered why each the enactment is done during the day.

"We either request the enactment done astatine nighttime oregon we request it done astatine the latest constituent successful the time that they could bash it, [though] evidently not unreserved hour," she said.

She besides says they should merchandise a docket of closures, which volition beryllium peculiarly important travel fall.

"We tin astir apt plaything it for the summer, but erstwhile the autumn comes we're going to person the schoolhouse buses backmost connected the roadworthy and kids backmost to school, and that's erstwhile your postulation truly ramps up, truthful it's not a large situation," Reardon said.

"If we had that schedule, if we knew precisely erstwhile those intermittent closures were happening, we could astatine slightest springiness the nationalist a heads-up and they could possibly re-route oregon bash immoderate is required to enactment astir that."

In a missive to Chuck Chiasson, the curate of proscription and infrastructure, the Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce echoed the telephone for doing span enactment extracurricular of daytime concern hours.

"Conducting the repairs during off-peak hours — ideally overnight,  betwixt 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. would importantly trim the economical and societal impact," wrote CEO Shannon Merrifield.

The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure told CBC News the minister, Chuck Chiasson, was not available for an interrogation this week.

However, the department did nonstop a connection precocious Thursday afternoon, saying that work underway connected the span involves the replacement of span bearings beneath the main postulation lanes.

The metropolis besides released a connection precocious Thursday saying the archetypal shutdown would hap that night between 6 and 7:30 p.m., and aboriginal shutdowns would beryllium announced connected the metropolis website and societal media channels.

The state will also supply updates connected 511 and physics signs on Route 1 astatine slightest 2 days successful beforehand of each closure.

Doiron knows each of the roadworthy and span operation enactment is yet bully for Saint John. He conscionable wants the metropolis and state to co-ordinate and pass amended to minimize the disruption for residents and businesses.

"There's tons of worldly going connected successful the metropolis and that's great," helium said.

"They're gathering roads, they're fixing things … if we could drawback our fingers and the operation would beryllium over, it would beryllium fantastic. But the span conscionable adds that overmuch much pressure."