Seaway International Bridge Corporation to Winterize Temporary Toll Booth

CORNWALL, ON, Oct. 20 /CNW Telbec/ - Construction work began yesterday to winterize the temporary tolling facilities at the base of the North Channel Bridge in Cornwall.

With winter fast approaching, the Seaway International Bridge Corporation is installing a prefabricated, insulated, temporary booth so that they can continue to collect tolls through the winter months.

The Seaway International Bridge tolling operations were shut down for 9 weeks earlier this year as a result of the ongoing dispute over the arming of CBSA officers on Cornwall Island. The loss of toll revenue meant that the bridge corporation was forced to lay off 32 employees, a first for the corporation.

The Corporation's administration and maintenance activities will continue to be managed from the administration building on Cornwall Island. Tolling operations will remain at the base of the bridge until the dispute is settled, at which time the Seaway International Bridge Corporation will assess the possibility of returning tolling operations to Cornwall Island.

The minor construction activities involved with this project have been scheduled for evenings and nights, so as to minimize disruptions to crossing users.

Trucks using the North Channel Bridge are restricted to a maximum unescorted width of 3.27m, (10 feet, 9 inches). Further details are available on the Corporation's website at http://www.sibc.ca.

Finally, in response to the recent interest in the condition of the North Channel Bridge, the Seaway International Bridge Corporation (SIBC) wishes to clearly reaffirm that the bridge is safe and that bridge users should not hesitate to use the crossing.

As a federal Crown Corporation, SIBC is mandated to operate and maintain the crossing for the safe and efficient passage of passenger and freight vehicles.

For further information: Andre Girard, Vice-President, Communications at the Federal Bridge Corporation Ltd., tel. [phone]