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1997 – Bridge to Prince Edward Island

In 1873, the Canadian government promised to provide continuous transport between Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) and the mainland as a condition for P.E.I. to join Canada. At that time, small boats were used to cross the Northumberland Strait between New Brunswick (N.B.) and P.E.I. In 1917, a permanent ice-breaking car ferry began service between the ports of Borden and Cape Tormentine. The idea of a fixed-link crossing surfaced many times over the years. In June 1997, it became a reality with the opening of the Confederation Bridge linking Cape Jourimain, N.B. and Borden–Carleton, P.E.I.

The Confederation Bridge is a 12.9-kilometre feat of modern engineering that cost $1 billion to construct. The design of the Confederation Bridge incorporates a multispan concrete box-girder structure. Construction began in the fall of 1993 and was completed in the spring of 1997. During peak production, 2,079 craft workers and 415 staff worked on the bridge. In total, more than 5,000 people were employed during the construction phase of the project, with most of the labour force and main subcontractors from the area. The bridge was built as a public–private partnership. It was financed by $660 million in guaranteed-payment bonds, based on the Canadian government’s former ferry subsidy. The federal government agreed to retire the bonds with annual payments to the developer over 35 years. At that time, ownership of the debt-free bridge will be transferred to the Government of Canada.

The Confederation Bridge has made crossing substantially quicker and cheaper compared with the ferry service. Bridge tolls are paid only when departing P.E.I. and are assessed based on the type of vehicle crossing the bridge. In 1997, when the bridge opened, the bridge toll for cars was $35. For every class of vehicle, the bridge toll is cheaper than the ferry service.

The Confederation Bridge has brought many positive economic effects. In 1996, 740,000 tourists came to P.E.I.; in 1997, that number jumped to 1.2 million. Transportation costs for goods are lower. Crossing time has been reduced to mere minutes, offering quicker access to markets both on and off the island and a more accurate delivery schedule. Since the bridge is open 24 hours a day (barring inclement weather), the queues, waiting times and uncertainty of arrival of goods associated with ferry service have been eliminated. Not all Islanders supported the building of the Confederation Bridge, but it has provided local residents and tourists with a convenient, flexible and reliable means of transportation to and from P.E.I.

Links

Our Bridge
Source: Confederation Bridge
http://www.confederationbridge.com/bridge/bridge.aspx?pageid=2&lang=en

Bridge FAQs
Source: Confederation Bridge
http://www.confederationbridge.com/bridge/faqs.aspx?pageid=5&lang=en

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