No Confederation Bridge toll increase for 2024
People using the Confederation Bridge to travel between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick will once again see no hike in the tolls when the new year arrives.
Normally bridge tolls are increased each year in step with inflation, but Transport Canada said Thursday that it will pass on funding to Strait Crossing Bridge Limited to cover its increased costs so that businesses and individuals pinched by inflationary pressures won’t have to pay more.
“We know the Confederation Bridge has a huge impact for local community members and businesses,” federal Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez was quoted as saying in a news release.
Drivers pay only when leaving Prince Edward Island, shelling out $50.25 for a regular car with two axles. Each additional axle adds $8.50, meaning crossing with a small trailer in tow is $58.75 and an 18-wheeler costs $75.50. Motorcycle tolls are $20.
The federal government owns the 12.9-kilometre bridge but contracted Strait Crossing to operate it and collect the tolls until at least 2032.
This is the second year in a row the feds have stepped in to freeze bridge tolls.
In the months before the April 2023 provincial election on Prince Edward Island, Premier Dennis King said he was lobbying the federal government to lower the bridge toll to $20, saying the tolls had become a “competitive disadvantage” for Islanders.
