‘How many days?’; Moncton area residents countdown to causeway completion
The countdown is on to the completion of the bridge connecting Riverview to Moncton.
A sign outside of a Riverview garage reads “70 days till the bridge reopens,” on Wednesday.
Garage owner Fenwick Maybe says when he first put up this sign in front of his Riverview shop, it was meant as a joke.
“I’m known to be a bit of a character, so I just got this whim and talked to a sign guy and said, ‘this is what I want to do’,” recalls Maybe.
For now, the sign has become a staple for commuters, with drivers turning to Maybe for his countdown to the reopening of the Petitcodiac River Causeway.
“Everywhere I go they ask ‘how many days? how many days?’… doesn’t matter where I am,” says Maybe.
Construction first shut down the Causeway on April 5, diverting all traffic travelling between Moncton and Riverview to the Gunningsville Bridge for six months.
“It gets a little congested, sometimes for about five to ten minutes. You know at lunch time, but other than that, it flows pretty well,” says Maybe.
But just past the halfway mark into the $60-million cross-river construction, not everyone feels the same.
“Our business is down quite a bit since the causeway closed,” says Wendy Smith, owner of Walton’s Bakery in Riverview.
Just up the road from the construction, Smith says her bakery saw more customers during the height of the pandemic then they are now, with people from Moncton telling them it’s easier to shop on the other side of the river.
“People would rather come here than go to the big box stores, if they just needed bakery items, so that didn’t hurt us, but the causeway has,” says Smith.
Riverview Mayor Andrew LeBlanc says some businesses on his side of the causeway have reached out to him about the impact of the closure, saying the restaurant industry was seemingly the hardest hit, seeing fewer out of town visitors since construction began.
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure says the more than $60-million project is scheduled to open on October 5, a day many are looking forward to.
“I imagine that our regular clientele will just be flocking to us, because they haven’t gotten our product in so long,” says Smith.
Until then, drivers are keeping a close eye on the countdown.
“People are seeing an end to it. When it first went up, it was a ‘Oh my God’ kind of thing, but now it’s down to a reasonable number,” says Maybe.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.