Authority may operate Burlington Lift Bridge

scotto

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The Beach Strip
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Jan. 26, 2005. 12:51 AM
Authority may operate Burlington Lift Bridge
By Peter Van Harten
The Hamilton Spectator


That prominent red Canada logo on the tower isn't being scraped off just yet, but the Hamilton Port Authority is thinking about taking over the Burlington Lift Bridge.

Jeff Brookfield, port vice-president of operations and harbour master, says there have been preliminary talks with the Federal Department of Public Works which operates the road bridge across the ship canal to Hamilton harbour.

Brookfield says speculation that Ottawa might give the authority a $30-million, one-time payment to take the bridge off its hands is "high."

But the authority is weighing the long-term pros and cons and costs of operating the bridge and would expect to be compensated.

"We wouldn't do it for the (one-time) money," said Brookfield who added the downloaded future costs of staffing and maintaining the bridge might kill the plan.

Public Works Department spokesperson Heather Grondin said talks are going on but that a financial proposal has not yet been made to the authority.

Public Works spends about $1.2 million annually to operate the bridge, she said.

The department is already looking to divest itself of various government holdings and suggested the authority should take over the bridge, which now remains lowered from the end of December to mid-March.

The talks came about when the port authority told Public Works that year-round operation of the bridge was needed for the port's truck ferry shipping project, said Brookfield.

The Hamilton Port Authority has been trying to establish itself as an intermodal distribution site. It wants to establish a daily truck ferry system between Oswego, N.Y., and Hamilton. A barge would carry more than 120 cargo trailers at a time across Lake Ontario to a Hamilton terminal, avoiding highway and border crossing congestion.

Brookfield said operations go smoothly between the port and bridge master but the bridge does not operate when the Welland Canal shipping season shuts down.

He said talks may also lead to the port authority taking over the Burlington Canal and piers maintained by Transport Canada.

The channel needs periodic dredging but Ottawa has stopped paying for it. A number of years ago, it cost the port authority about $300,000 to dredge the canal and it might as well have control, he said.

Chris Krepski of Transport Canada said negotiations are under way and the port authority would have to be reimbursed for any repairs needed.

pvanharten@thespec.com

905-526-3328

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Ottawa 'high' on giving authority $30 million to take over bridge.
 

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Ferry plan hinges on year-round lift bridge
By Steve Arnold
The Hamilton Spectator
A cargo ferry service between Hamilton and Oswego, N.Y., could be operating by spring 2006 if a federal government roadblock is cleared.

Keith Robson, president of the Hamilton Port Authority, told The Spectator's editorial board yesterday the harbour has to be open year-round if the ferry service is to succeed, and for that to happen the lift bridge over the ship canal has to be turned into a 12-month operation.

"The ferry service is a serious strategic change for the harbour," he said. "It would take trucks off the road between here and the border. These ferries could have a significant impact on truck traffic through Niagara."

Dubbed MarineLink, the plan would see two ferry boats move up to 150 truck trailers each between Hamilton and Oswego, easing pressure at border crossings and triggering a miniboom in warehouse and distribution operations at the harbour, especially in the Eastport Drive area, which offers access to the highway.

"Anyone operating a supply chain needs a supply chain that operates all year," Robson said. "We need that bridge to be operating 12 months a year."

Staying open year-round isn't an environmental problem, Robson said, noting the winter ice can be easily broken up by ships coming in or by specially equipped tugboats. The main obstacle is the bridge.

The port authority has already started negotiations with the federal Public Works department about taking over the lift bridge, which would need about $6 million in improvements.

The ferry proposal is one of several projects the Port Authority is pushing in its effort to turn Hamilton Harbour into an economic engine for the region. Most of this attention is focused on Pier 8 (east of Bayfront Park), Piers 14 and 15 (roughly from the foot of Wentworth Street to Stelco); Fisherman's Pier (at the canal) and the area along Eastport Drive.

Pier 8 has been marked for residential-commercial uses including restaurants, bars and hotels. Cruises could also be part of this work, but Robson said he doubts passenger ferry service has much of a chance of success.

"The potential for a passenger ferry is limited at best," he said, explaining the cost of the boat and required parking facilities would make such a service much more expensive than the GO system.

"I really think an expansion of the GO system is far more economical for everyone," he said. "Day trips and dinner cruises have a better chance. That's the area we need to support."

A $15 million expansion of the authority's office building is also part of this project.

Development plans for the Pier 14 and 15 area include intermodal distribution centres aimed at handling container traffic and linking to Hamilton airport.

The focus at Fisherman's Pier would be on a new marina, waterfront commercial uses, an extension of the waterfront trail and fish habitat improvements.

The Eastport Drive area is intended as a commercial-industrial park and is already home to operations such as Steelcare, Bitumar and Toronto Tank Lines.

The authority's ambitious development plans are in addition to an already-busy shipping terminal that in 2004 handled more than 12 million tonnes of cargo, an 8.4 per cent increase from 2003.

That marked the third time in the past five years the port has handled that much cargo.

sarnold@thespec.com

905-526-3496
 
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