| As ice clogs some of Canada’s chilly waters, bad news floats past. The 11-year-old Confederation Bridge, a 12.9-kilometre structure on which drivers cruise between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, costs more to use.
Recently, Cairns Media Magazine featured this bridge (Cool Feat! Long Bridge Spans Chilly Divide). Our reporter called it “fascinating”, “much photographed” and “an engineering marvel”. Maybe he should have added “bloody expensive”.
Since a toll increase on January 1, car-drivers pay Cdn $41.50, an extra 75 cents, for a round-trip crossing. The rate for motorcyclists has hit $16.50, up 25 cents.
By comparison, other big bridges look like incredible bargains, almost a steal:
-- the International Bridge at Sault Ste Marie, 4.5 km between Ontario and Michigan, Cdn $2.20 per crossing;
-- the Mackinac Bridge, 8 km, linking Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, US $3 per crossing; and
-- the A. Murray MacKay and the Angus L. Macdonald bridges from Halifax to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Cdn 75 cents per crossing.
The Confederation Bridge’s looming presence may boost tourism and inter-provincial business, but its exorbitant tolls do the opposite. Costly gasoline and the sickly US dollar already discourage vacationers from heading to Atlantic Canada. Emptying wallets at the bridge worsens matters.
Should driving between provinces really inflict such a burden? Then why not build toll booths at other provincial borders?
The Confederation Bridge’s sky-high tolls need to subside to more suitable levels. “Free” sounds ideal, but below Cdn $10 per car might suffice.
Otherwise, the drivers on this bridge will continue to ponder words like “rip-off” and “highway robbery”.
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Confederation Bridge looms large
and impressive, but it's no bargain.
Do these drivers ponder 'highway robbery'?
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