News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – The provincial government announced today that the road leading to Darlings Island will be realigned and raised this year.

“Darlings Island Road is critical for residents, as it is the only way in or out of the community,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Bill Oliver. “We are looking at a number of projects related to flood mitigation, and, given the number of times this road has flooded during the spring freshet, I am pleased to announce that this upgraded road will be in use when the spring floods come next year.”

The height of the road will be in line with the elevation of the bridge, which is about six metres above sea level. This will result in some parts of the road being raised over two metres. The new alignment will be about one kilometre in length.

The tender for this project is now closed and construction is expected to begin in late July or early August. It will be completed this fall.

The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure has applied for federal funding under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements. This program helps jurisdictions to recover from disasters and mitigate damages.