Miramichi's Centennial Bridge closure delayed again, this time to 2026

A long-anticipated full closure of a vital traffic link for northern New Brunswick has been pushed back yet again.

A press release from the province announced that work shutting down the Centennial Bridge in Miramichi will be pushed to 2026 instead of the scheduled work that was supposed to happen this summer. 

The province fired the contractor for the bridge, Ontario-based Julmac Contracting, earlier this month and refused to say at the time if it would affect the project's schedule.

"First, I want to say that I understand the frustration of the people in Miramichi about the progress on the Centennial Bridge project in the last number of years," said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Chuck Chiasson in the press release.

"By making this change to the project schedule, we feel as though we may be able reduce the number of full closures required to complete this project."

The government press release did not explain why full closures may be reduced by the schedule change. 

Miramichi Mayor Adam Lordon said in an interview that while clarity is appreciated, "We'll have to wait to understand what the actual plan is to complete the project."

He added that the city will continue to push for building a northern bypass route, which advocates have said would lessen traffic, especially during a full bridge shutdown. A leaked provincial report said it was impossible to be completed before the bridge closure was set to begin in 2025. 

"That need is going to be there before, during and after a bridge closure," Lordon said.

The upgrade was first announced by Brian Gallant's Liberal government in 2015, with a nine-year timeline, including a full closure in 2020 to upgrade the surface.

The original cost was estimated at $83 million but has now more than doubled to $195 million.

The Gallant government cancelled one of the contracts for the work in 2018 without explanation, the first of many setbacks and delays.

The Progressive Conservative government of Blaine Higgs scrapped another of the contracts in 2020 because of spiralling costs.

And now the Susan Holt government is the latest to cancel the work, which has been scheduled to see a full shutdown of the bridge for the 2025, 2026 and 2027 summers.

Julmac was also removed from working on the nearby Anderson Bridge replacement as well as an approach bridge at the Mactaquac Dam outside of Fredericton. The contractor alleges that it was treated unfairly compared to local contractors, but the province alleges that Julmac breached its contracts. The case is now before the courts.

A recent CBC investigation revealed at times heated communication between Julmac and provincial engineers during the company's work on the Marysville Bridge in Fredericton, not long before Julmac was fired from the Centennial Bridge.

Lordon declined to comment on Julmac's firing, but again reiterated the need for a long-term plan.

"I think the community is looking forward to having a clear plan from now till completion."

The province's press release said that a community information session will be held "once details are finalized."

Les Price, a local who organized a group calling for the northern bypass to be built, said people were pleased to hear there will be no full closure this summer, but that the bypass could have been completed by now if it had been started when bridge closures were first announced in 2015.

"So this will give them another opportunity to do what's right for the community and to get this done," Price said. 

He added that his group plans to use the community information session, whenever it happens, to make their voices heard.

"Well, we're going to keep the pressure on, I can guarantee you that."