Saint John residents give mixed response to proposed Simms Corner redevelopment

Possible plans for Simms Corner in Saint John, N.B., have been revealed.

The redevelopment of a well travelled Saint John, N.B., intersection has been tossed around for decades, but now there are some renderings of what a change could look like.

According to the rendered designed obtained by CTV News Atlantic, a new Simms Corner, which has part of the provincial-municipal Route 100 Highway run though it, would see an overpass built at the intersection. It would also see the intersection changed into more defined roads, with a straight drive from Lancaster Avenue to Main Street no longer an option.

The rendered photos are from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI), which will lead the redevelopment project. In March, the province committed to redesigning the important intersection and requested help from Ottawa.

“I saw the plan on it and I’m thinking to myself this is crazy,” says Blaine Harris, who obtained the renderings through someone with DTI. “You’re going to do a two-year build for something that could be satisfied with a roundabout.

“We don’t need a huge overpass because the overpass is only for the trains. We can cure the problem with the trains through negotiation.”

Harris, who owns and operates Lancaster Barber Shop a few hundred metres from Simms Corner, says the plan itself focuses on the trains that travel through the area either to the Port of Saint John or the Irving Pulp and Paper Mill, which sites directly at the corner.

Harris thinks the renderings look to try and decrease the train disruptions on traffic in the area.

“The trains are an issue that can be cured,” Harris says. “You’re running right now two-mile-long trains. You can cut that down to a mile out of the port and run multiple throughout the day at varying low peak times. To build this kind of an infrastructure solely to get around the train tracks, in my opinion, is crazy.”

Harris says he was told the project would be around $100 million and would take at least two years to complete. During that time Harris worries about the impact of his business nothing the only other way to get to the west side of the city once construction begins will be the Harbour Bridge.

The bridge itself is nearing the end of a multi-year refurbishing project.

“I could foresee us having to close, or go to a temporary location,” Harris says.

While his location would be impacted on a temporary basis, other businesses may not be so lucky. The way Harris sees the rendered photos, the Tim Hortons and Wendys that sit on the intersections southwest corner would be demolished to move the road back.

“It’s a big build, it’s not a small project,” he says. “You’re also going to lose the top of Harding Street so you’re not going to be able to turn on their either and it’s going to come off to the back of the shell station.”

Daniel Houghton, founder and CEO of Engineering by Houghton, likes the idea of an overpass as he believes it will remove any conflict between trains and pedestrian vehicles.

He believes the idea is especially timely given the growing activity in the area thanks to a rapidly expanding port.

“The approach is good, but the construct ability has got to be heavily considered,” Houghton says. “It’s a dangerous intersection from the perspective of the conflicts between pedestrians, vehicle and trains already. Adding in construction confusion to that is something that’s got to be considered.”

There is no timeline for when any work will begin on the corner.

CTV New Atlantic reached out to the City of Saint John for comment about the Simms Corner renderings but were directed to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.

JD Irving also directed CTV News Atlantic to the province for comments on the renderings.

DTI responded on Thursday and said it is still in the planning process of the project and developing several options for consideration.

It added the rendering was not produced by the department and was presented as part of a “conceptual package” by a consultant.

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