Moncton delays plan to overhaul St. George Street - Action News
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New Brunswick

Moncton delays plan to overhaul St. George Street

Moncton is delaying a multi-million dollar overhaul of St. George Street toreplace water and sewer lines nearly a century old that had been expected to start in 2021.

Businesses say delay is good given pandemic's effects

A red car turning off St. George Street with various traffic signs and lights visible in the distance.
St. George Street in Moncton, N.B., runs through the downtown from Vaughan Harvey Boulevard to King Street. (Shane Magee/CBC)

Monctonhas delayed a multi-million dollaroverhaul of St. George Street to replacewater and sewer lines that are nearly a century old.

Businesseswere told in 2018 to expect significant disruptions while blocks along thedowntown are dug up in phases over about three years. The Times & Transcript reported in 2018 the estimated cost was$11-million. An updated figure wasn't available this week.

Last week, city staff told Moncton council the start of the work has been pushed to 2023 or 2024. The roughly two kilometre long street runsbetweenVaughan Harvey Boulevard and King Street.

Alcide Richard, Moncton's director of design and construction, said during budget deliberations that staff didn't want the work to coincide with the complete closure of thecauseway between Moncton and Riverview expected to last six months next year.

Alcide Richard, right, the city's director of design and construction, told city councillors that the work has been delayed to avoid overlapping with the causeway closure and to complete transportation plans. (Shane Magee/CBC)

He also said the city is updatingits active transit plan, which could result inrecommendations for changes to St. George Street.

"We wantto ensure that we're not making decisions on St. George that are going to negatively affect the possibilities of that plan," Richard said, without elaborating on what some of those possibilities could be.Richard did not provide an interview.

He told council that once the transit plan iscomplete, the city will consult with businesses along St. George before going ahead with the major construction project.

Several small businesses along St. George say they're happy the work has been delayed.

St. George Street in Moncton has many small businesses along it. (Vanessa Blanch/CBC)

"It's maybe goodtiming to let us breathe a little bit and continue with as little businessas we have during the pandemic," said Marc Leger, who operates theNotre Dame de Parktonrestaurant and The Laundromat Espresso Bar with his brother Ben.

Louis Leger, co-owner of the Moncton Fish Market, echoed that.

He said the planned work could have a big impact on the shop and its customerstrying to access the business, which has a parking lot offSt. George.

"It would be hard for us to keep working while there's construction going on outside the store," Leger said.

Marc Leger, owner of The Laundromat Espresso Bar on St. George Street, says the delay is good because businesses are already facing effects from the pandemic. (Maeve McFadden/CBC)

He said the city closed the block in front of the store for almost a whole day last week.

"Business was dead,"Louis Leger said.

"No cars were coming in, we had nobody here at the store. That was only for one day. If they're digging up the street, it would be weeks and probably months depending on how fast they're going to be working."

Coun. Charles Lger, whose ward includes part of St. George Street, said the city will need a plan to address that issue.

"When you look at large projects like this, it's important that businesses that are on those sections of street that will be affected, that there needs to be a plan for how the general public can access businesses and a plan for their survival,"Lger said in an interview.

Louis Leger, a co-owner of the Moncton Fish Market, says any disruption of access to the business could be harmful. (Shane Magee/CBC)

Some of the water and sewer lines under St. George were installed between 1895 and 1959, according to a 2017 report by Downtown Moncton Centre-ville Inc.

The report says replacing older infrastructure is required so the system can handle growth, such as new and larger buildings.

Louis Leger expects that once it's complete any upgrades to the street will be positive.

Esthetic upgrades also planned

While the plans for the work aren't complete, Richard told councillors that the city's right-of-way isn't large.

"Trying to do trees and landscaping features and sidewalks and continue having the parking and bike lanes - something's going to have to give," Richard said.

Kevin Silliker, Moncton's general manager of economic development, said the city would also install more lighting and wrought iron fencing to improve the street's esthetics.