New staging area for high-sided vehicles opens in Borden-Carleton

A new parking lot in Borden-Carleton will give drivers a safe and convenient location to park their trucks when the Confederation Bridge closes to high-sided vehicles, says Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Ron MacKinley.

“When the bridge closed to high-sided vehicles, trucks had no place to go and were forced to line up along the Trans Canada Highway, which was not only unsafe but very inconvenient for truck drivers,” said Minister MacKinley. “This new parking lot and staging area will give truckers a far better location to park and rest when they are unable to cross the bridge.”

The province invested $330,000 through Build PEI to construct the parking lot and to buy the land necessary for the development. The lot is located at the corner of Industrial Drive and Dickie Road. The addition of the new parking lot will now allow safe parking for up to 75 large trucks.

“Weather has a major impact on the ability of the trucking industry to transport various products to and from Prince Edward Island,” said the Chair of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association Mr. Shane Esson. “When the bridge is forced to close to high-sided vehicles for safety reasons, truckers will now have a safe and comfortable area close to the bridge with nearby facilities where they can rest until the bridge re-opens. I want to congratulate the province on completing this important project.”