Maintenance means delays on Confederation Bridge for next 8 weeks

Work began this week to replace an expansion joint located about a kilometre from the New Brunswick approach to the Confederation Bridge, a project that will mean some disruptions in the next two months.

From now until June 16, a stop-and-go traffic light will manage traffic between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick as that section of the bridge is restricted to one lane of vehicles at a time.

"There will be some waiting time, so we ask everybody if they are stopped on the bridge to please stay inside the vehicle. It's very important for the safety of all," said Alexis Reynaud, deputy general manager of Strait Crossing Bridge Limited, which operates the bridge across the Northumberland Strait.

Oversize loads will still be permitted to cross the bridge, but only on Mondays and Thursdays at noon AT.

The bridge will be closed to all traffic for eight hours on two separate occasions:

Reynaud said the company is trying to keep traffic disruption to a minimum, but speed limits will be reduced in a safety area around the work zone.

He said the RCMP will conduct more patrols to keep workers and travellers safe, noting that the company has seen an increase in the number of vehicles driving dangerously on the bridge since the beginning of the year.

Emergency vehicles will be permitted to cross at all times during the eight-week period.