They’ve been a fixture of downtown Moncton for decades. But brick by brick, block by block, the city’s sidewalks will change over the next few years. Moncton City Council unanimously approved a plan from Trace Planning and Design last week to replace the red brick sidewalks. René Lagacé, the director of engineering for the City of Moncton, said the original bricks were installed in the late 1980s. “It’s really reached the end of its life cycle so what we want to do is start replacing blocks of Main Street and we’re looking at a multi-year project,” said Lagacé. First up, the section between Mechanic Street and Assomption Boulevard. Lagacé said the red bricks will be removed, a concrete slab will be placed underneath and then a new paver stone, individual concrete blocks, will be installed. “We’re going to have a different look. Aesthetically more pleasing, but also much better for accessibility,” said Lagacé. The city has done repair work over the years, but Lagacé said the new concrete pavement is more durable and has recently been installed on some side streets. “We came to realize that it’s probably not the most suitable material for our climate,” said Lagacé. The section between Assomption and Mechanic will include new trees and streetlights, and the concrete blocks will have different shades of colour. Moncton city councillor Greg Turner believes replacing the bricks is long overdue. Turner said the city has gotten a lot of feedback from citizens, merchants, and property owners over the years about how the sidewalks are deteriorating. “They really are due for a freshening up or a new look, really,” said Turner. He acknowledges there is some sentimental value to the old bricks and some people may be sad to see them go. “But the reality is with the kind of weather we have, the winters we have, they just haven’t stood the test of time. And the reality is they’ve become very uneven. Accessibility is a huge factor. We have an aging population that we’re trying to obviously make things as safe and comfortable as possible,” said Turner. Heather Arsenault feels a little nostalgia for the red bricks, but says they have to go. “It’s a memory from childhood, but I think it’s time. We need to update and make it more user friendly or walker friendly,” said Arsenault. Rhonda Cudmore has some accessibility issues and welcomes the change. “It’s hard, especially in the winter months when it gets icy, and you have any place where it’s slope down, then it’s horrendous,” said Cudmore. The red bricks have been on Main Street as long as Dale Hazel can remember. “But the only problem with the brick is if we get freezing rain, it’s really slippery,” said Hazel. “If it was asphalt or concrete it’s a little bit easier to walk on because you’ve got that little bit of grip.” Not all sections of Main Street that have the bricks will be getting a facelift, however. “Right now, what we’re concentrating on doing is just doing the downtown section of Main Street,” said Lagacé. “Between Lutz Street and Assomption [Boulevard].” The red brick sections east of Assomption Boulevard and West of Lutz Street are in “fairly good condition” Lagacé said, and the city doesn’t have plans in the near future to replace them. Lagacé called it a “multi-million-dollar project” and explained why the whole area isn’t being done at once. “We definitely don’t want to replace the entire section of Main Street in one year. It’s too much work first of all, but it’s also a big impact for patio clientele,” said Lagacé. The first phase is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 14 with a tentative completion date of Oct. 27. Lagacé said adding the new concrete, trees, lights and underground wiring should cost around $750,000. The whole project should take five to six years, he said. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
