Blow dealt to Peace Bridge expansion
FORT ERIE, Ont. – Hopes to expand the Peace Bridge linking Ontario to Buffalo, N.Y. were dealt a significant blow in late March with the decision by an American panel to reject plans for a companion span to ease congestion at the border crossing.
The Peace Bridge Public Consensus Panel decided to reject the recommendation from a panel of engineers that had suggested the building of a second span. Politicians on the Buffalo side of the bridge have instead been pushing for a single “signature bridge” to be built.
About 5,000 trucks cross the Peace Bridge each day, while truck traffic has recently been growing by seven to 10 per cent a year.
The Peace Bridge Authority is “extremely disappointed,” said its chairman, Victor Martucci.
Had the panel recommended the choice of a second span, construction would have begun this summer.
The decision, said Canadian Trucking Alliance chief executive officer David Bradley, could “lead to the slow strangulation of Canada-U.S. trade in the region.” n
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