Parties talk Lamque-Shippagan bridge plans in final campaign weekend

Several of New Brunswick's political parties are clarifying commitments for a new bridge connecting Shippagan with LamqueIsland and MiscouIslandduring the final weekend of the campaign.

Replacing the structure was a major issue in the riding in the 2018 election, when both the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives tried to convince voters they were the best choice to construct a new one.

The current bridge is an essential link allowing about 10,000 people to travel daily between the two islands and the rest of the Acadian Peninsula.

Built in the late 1950s, it has been partially or entirely closed at times for repairs, and shut down during a recent ice storm.

Work on the bridge in January reduced traffic to one lane, creating major traffic delays.

The riding of Shippagan-Lamque-Miscou has flipped from Liberal to PC in the time since boundaries were redrawn before the 2014 provincial election.

Voters last elected PC candidate Robert Gauvin, who later quit thecaucus over rural hospital cuts to sit as an Independent.

The provincial government announced in December 2019 it would fund an engineering study for a new bridge tobe conducted in 2020-2021. Gauvin, who served as transportation minister,said at the timeit could break ground in 2021 with completion by the end of 2025.

'There will be a point'

But PC Leader Blaine Higgs wouldn't commit to that timeline when questioned during a campaign stop in Shippagan on Saturday

"My commitment to the community has always been that there is never any question about the need for a reliable bridge," he said.

The leader said Gauvin's timeline could have been the former minister's personal position.

Higgs said he wants a bridge that is operating a "high percentage" of the time. But he did not go as far to call it "reliable" and said any project would be based on technical evaluation which considers other infrastructure in need of upgrades in the province.

"There will be a point, and we can probably lay it right out there and say at some point in the next few years it will require full replacement," Higgs said, noting he would want federal support for the project.

Local candidates call for new bridge

The PC candidate in Shippagan-Lamque-Miscou, who made an appearance with his party leader on Saturday, suggested to reporters he would push hard for the project.

Jean-Grard Chiasson said he finds Higgs's position difficult to understand.

"I want it. I want to work to have the bridge," he said.

Chiasson said there are public interests, which at a certain point can push the study forward.

"I will fight with my population to have this bridge the earliest possible."

The Liberals said Saturday they would move forward with the project, if elected.

"This bridge is vital for the people of Miscou Island and Lamque Island as it connects them to the rest of the province, it absolutely needs to be replaced," said spokesperson Ashley Beaudin.

Candidate ric Mallet said a Liberal government would be ready to start construction in 2022. "It's a question of safety," he said.

Greens commit to time frame

Green Party Leader David Coon said on Saturday he would replace the bridge no later than 2022.

"A Green government won't play politics with infrastructure projects whose timelines are based on public safety standards," he said in a news release.

Green candidate Marie Leclerc said the bridge is important for the survival of community health centres in Lamque and Miscou, who have about 40 per cent of their employees commute to the islands.

"The link is vital to the fishing, peat and berry industry that thrives on the islands," she said.

The NDP does not have a candidate in the riding. Spokesperson Nathan Davis said the party would examine the possibility of resuming any suspended projects based on the province's finances and expert recommendations.

CBC News contacted the People's Alliance for comment and did not receive a response.