If the need is there, build the bridge

What a massive project — to build a new bridge spanning a vital Niagara waterway. A multi-year plan that would cost millions and millions of dollars to complete.

More lanes needed to handle steadily growing local traffic; an aging bridge no longer able to handle the demands of a modern world; at stake, possibly billions of dollars in goods trucked annually through Niagara over this vital trade link.

No, we’re not talking about the plan to twin the Garden City Skyway in St. Catharines, which is projected now to start in early 2025.

In the late 1990s it was another major bridge-building plan that captivated Niagara, or south Niagara at least: The campaign to build a new Peace Bridge.

It was considered too old, too small, too limited by its infrastructure. There were public meetings, plans were put together and when it seemed to stall, there were even drivers in Fort Erie with bumper stickers that read: “Just build the damn bridge.”

It didn’t get built, for numerous reasons.

Instead, the bridge authority made improvements on the crossing, which opened in 1927, and on the properties at both ends of it, fixing this and enlarging that.

Now nearly 25 years later, the good old Peace Bridge is still there and there’s no talk of replacing it.

Will the plan to twin the 55-year-old Garden City Skyway — in the news again after getting a mention in last week’s provincial budget — also end up being filed under H for history?

Although it has been talked about for 10 years or more now, few details are known about the need, cost and impact of such a major undertaking.

At this point we’re told it would be a 2.2-kilometre-long structure that would be built north of the existing skyway.

The new one would carry Toronto-bound traffic over the Welland Canal and take about four years to construct. Work would start in early 2025 and, apparently, end around 2029.

After that, the existing bridge, which opened in 1963, would be refurbished, including a complete redecking. When complete, it would handle traffic headed toward Fort Erie and the Canada-U.S. border.

The property acquisition process has started, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation said this week.

Back in 2013 when a similar twinning plan was being discussed, the talk was to have four lanes running in each direction on the skyway bridges.

The transportation ministry had already identified a goal of having an eight-lane QEW running through Niagara, including high-occupancy vehicle lanes.

When the latest skyway twinning project was included in the provincial budget unveiled last week at Queen’s Park, few details were included.

No one is saying how much it will cost, which is understandable to a point because land still has to be purchased and numerous contracts would have to be negotiated to get work started.

Still, a ballpark figure would be useful. We would also like to see some data justifying the need for a mammoth project like this.

Of course, we would be thrilled to see Niagara companies land many of the contracts to build the bridge. It would be great for the local economy, and put more people to work.

But Niagara residents are also going to have to help pay for this and it’s not hard to imagine a price tag in the billion-dollar range or more.

We hope reviving this long-discussed project isn’t just more pre-election hot air coming from Toronto. We know a busy QEW can be hell on Earth for drivers at times, especially on summer weekends.

After years of talk, then, it’s time to put up or shut up. If the need warrants the cost, let’s build the bridge.

We hope reviving this longdiscussed project isn’t just more pre-election hot air coming from Toronto