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

For years now, business has slowed down between April and November at Doiron Sports Excellence on the west side of Saint John because of the rehabilitation work on Harbour Bridge. 

Since 2021, the bridge has been reduced to one lane in each direction, causing traffic jams during peak hours on both the Harbour Bridge and the alternate route that goes over the Reversing Falls Bridge to the west side.

"Every time it happens, traffic here slows down. People avoid the area. You can see it by the amount of people that come into the store," said owner Marc Doiron, who cast his eyes around the nearly empty shop at around 4 p.m. on a Wednesday.

Doiron says the four-phase rehabilitation project, which is scheduled to be competed in 2027, creates traffic delays that affect everyone who relies on the bridge, from commuters to school buses to shoppers and delivery vehicles. 

Now Doiron's worried it's going to get even worse after the province announced earlier this week that the entire bridge would be shut down for short periods of time during off-peak hours.

"If they actually stop the traffic fully, I think the city will shut down for an hour to two hours because of the traffic backups," he said.

The province is now saying the full shutdowns of the bridge will take place from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. to minimize disruptions to businesses and residents.

On Monday, the city posted a brief notice on its website from the province's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, which said the Harbour Bridge would close for brief periods — around 20 minutes — during off-peak hours between now and November.

At the time, the province didn't specify when or how often these closures would take place, which caused anger and confusion from area residents and business owners like Doiron, who aired his frustrations in a Facebook post.

Doiron said the city and the province should revisit the plan with a focus on making things easier for businesses and residents. He said they should do practical things such as consider night work, when most people are home and businesses are closed. 

He also said they should better communicate with the public and demonstrate a "genuine understanding" of the impacts on residents and the economy.

Doiron's plea resonated with people, with the post generating more than 150 comments and nearly 600 shares.

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

"There's no way to cross the Saint John River except via a bridge," Reardon said.