American firm floats idea for private NB truck highway

SAINT JOHN — A U.S. company is proposing a dedicated truck toll highway connecting the borders of Maine, New Brunswick and Quebec.

According to a CBC report, Cianbro Corp. says the private 350-km toll highway would take trucks off other highways and cut about five hours from the trip from Calais, Maine to Montreal — a drive that usually takes at least 10 hours currently.

Cianbro President Peter Vigue says the road would allow unlimited weight limits, which would maximize industry capacity and save fuel and emissions.

Vigue was in Saint John last week to gauge the interests of Atlantic businesses. He told CBC that he should know by early next year if the project is feasible.

However, some critics are fearful that the $1 billion private highway could undermine all the investment made recently to new Trans-Canada Highway that just opened north of Woodstock.

The entire 516 kilometres of the Trans-Canada from the Nova Scotia border to the Quebec border is now a divided, four-lane highway. Earlier this month, work concluded on the last 98 km, from Grand Falls and Woodstock, N.B.

— with files from CBC