Province sets start date for bridge closure, and urges patience

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Be ready for five weeks of pain, cross-town commuters. The province has announced the Princess Margaret Bridge will be closed from May 10 to June 13 to repair last year’s repairs.

The closure – and $2.5 million in repairs – was expected after last year’s renovations to the bridge left it with deep dips at the spans, slowing traffic, and after a late fall attempt to fix that fell short.

The province announced the start date Monday morning.

In a news release, the province said the work was “was rescheduled to this year due to a high volume of construction already taking place in the downtown.”

But last October, Ames shrugged off questions from the Liberals about the repair work, saying “everything’s great.” He later admitted the work wasn’t finished and said the province would “complete the job” sometime this year.

The project, and additional money going to it, has continued to put the Tories in the hot seat at the provincial legislature. Green party Leader and local MLA David Coon has called the entire project a “massive screw-up.”

The city, which is planning to start its construction season earlier to avoid work dragging into the fall, has agreed to delay projects in the area of the bridge – one of two that crosses the St. John River, connecting the north and south sides of the city – to avoid more severe traffic troubles.

Still, in the release from the province announcing the start date, Ames warned of backups.

“I urge residents to exercise patience while this work gets underway,” he said in the release. “Motorists and residents are strongly encouraged to consider alternatives such as walking, biking, carpooling or using public transit; working from home, if able; and completing errands outside of heavy-traffic times.”