Saint John Harbour bridge protest idea defeated

Saint John common council voted down a motion that would have shut down the Harbour Bridge for a day to draw attention to the dire need for repairs.

The motion moved by Coun. Gary Sullivan at Monday night's meeting asked the city to shut down the bridge for a day. It sparked a heated debate before it was eventually defeated.

Coun. Bill Farren said he felt something had to be done in order to make a point to both the federal and provincial governments about the bridge's need for improvements.

"We're being held ransom in the city of Saint John because neither government wants to turn around — and not give us the money — just sign a guarantee that if the tolls come off, that they'll be good for the loan," Farren said.

The Harbour Bridge urgently needs $35 million in repairs and requires government backing to secure a loan to pay for them. The two levels of government are locked in a fight over who should pay for the repairs or guarantee the loan.

The Saint John Bridge Authority has warned that it'll have to impose lane restrictions as a safety measure unless construction starts this spring.

When pushing his motion, Sullivan said a temporary shutdown would show authorities how vital the bridge is to people in the province's largest city.

But other councillors were concerned about the traffic snarls that would be generated by the one-day bridge closure.

Coun. Peter McGuire, who represents the west side, said he applauded Sullivan's aim to raise awareness, but the commute is difficult enough when the bridge is operating.

"This would be extremely, extremely inconvenient for those of us on the west side. Simms Corner isn't the most easy transportation route now, imagine the day the bridge is closed," McGuire said.