Some strait advice on travelling to P.E.I.
A Confederation Bridge crossing is a must-do, but the tolls are pricey
BORDEN-CARLETON, P.E.I.— James Hagen is just the kind of chill guy a nervous driver wants behind the wheel to cross the 12.9-kilometre span of the Confederation Bridge.
“For some, it’s the height. For others, it’s just the bridge,” said Hagen, a bridge patroller on the span linking Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick.
Among his duties, Hagen drives “apprehensive drivers” across in their cars, as well as steering a 21passenger shuttle bus for pedestrians and cyclists to cross.
Hagen doesn’t judge. He chats with the anxious passenger to help keep their mind off the drive.
It costs $40 to have a bridge staffer take you and your car to the other side.
The Confederation Bridge marked its 20th birthday in May. It’s a beautiful structure and an impressive engineering feat, rising 60 metres at the navigational span centre to give views across the Northumberland Strait. Cruise ships often pass underneath.
It’s also notorious for its pricey tolls: $46.50 for the round trip, collected when you leave Borden-Carleton, P.E.I.
The $1-billion bridge replaced the ferry, although the one from Woods Island Ferry Terminal on the east end of the island makes regular 75minute trips to and from Caribou, N.S.
Michel Le Chasseur is general manager at Strait Crossing Bridge Ltd., the private company that runs the bridge until its government handover in 2032. He has a great tip for people on a Maritime road trip, wanting both a P.E.I. ferry and bridge-crossing experience. And it will save you money.
Since you only pay for the ferry or bridge crossing when you leave P.E.I., take the ferry from Nova Scotia and avoid the $77 round-trip fare (including fuel surcharge) by taking the bridge off the island for $46.50.
The tolls are a sore spot with many locals, but Le Chasseur says the bridge “brought the islanders freedom. You can leave on your own schedule.”
It also fulfils a constitutional obligation, a condition P.E.I. set down for joining Confederation 150 years ago; that the island would always have a “conveyance” between it and the mainland.
Once on P.E.I., do some shopping at the Gateway Village at the bridge and have lunch or a snack at one of several places, including The Handpie Company (handpie.ca), where chefowner Sarah Bennetto O’Brien wraps local ingredients such as roasted beets, corn and goat cheese in flaky pastry for a tasty to-go meal. Linda Barnard was hosted by Tourism Prince Edward Island which did not review of approve this story.