Work begins on NB truck bypass project

FREDERICTON — Shovels broke ground in Fredericton for the first phase of the Nashwaak-Marysville Bypass on Route 8.

The new 36-km, access-controlled highway will bypass the existing Route 8 from the suburb of Marysville to South Portage along the east side of the Nashwaak River. It will eliminate trucking through Marysville, which is primarily a residential community.

It will also relieve congestion on Route 8, which is the arterial highway that connects central and northeastern New Brunswick to Fredericton and the Trans-Canada Highway. It is the principal access route for the area’s resource-based economy, especially the forest industry.

The bypass includes two interchanges and seven structures, as well as wildlife fencing and climbing lanes for trucks. It is scheduled for completion in 2015.

The bill for $214-million project is being split by the governments of Canada and New Brunswick.

"When this important piece of strategic infrastructure is complete, Route 8 will be a safer, more efficient highway that supports economic development and growth in central and northeastern New Brunswick," said Denis Landry, New Brunswick’s Minister of Transportation, in a press release.