Study Recommends Options to Protect National Trade Corridor

A transportation study has recommended three options to help preserve the flow of goods and services between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

About $35 billion in trade is conducted via the Chignecto Isthmus each year.

“We now have three well-considered options for protecting the critical transportation infrastructure on the Chignecto Isthmus, as well as agricultural land and, most importantly, local communities,” said Nova Scotia Public Works Minister Kim Masland. “This study will help guide our decisions.”

The options outlined in the study are:

• raising the existing dikes
• building new dikes
• raising the existing dikes and installing steel sheet pile walls at select locations.

“Work on the Chignecto Isthmus Climate Change Adaptation Engineering and Feasibility Study started in 2018, and collaboration between New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the federal government was key to ensuring this vital economic link between both provinces remains protected,” said New Brunswick Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Jill Green. “Not only will this ensure the continuation of the trade corridor, but it should provide additional protection for residents in Sackville and surrounding areas.”

The two provinces will decide on a course of action after discussing these options with the federal government. The cost of each option ranges from about $190 million to more than $300 million.

Additional Resources:

Chignecto Isthmus Climate Change Adaptation Engineering and Feasibility Study: https://novascotia.ca/tran/publications/

Executive summary of the report: https://novascotia.ca/tran/publications/