In our view: Less traffic delays will mean a better life for all

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Twenty-seven years after traffic started rolling over the Westmorland Street Bridge, the last piece of the structure's puzzle has finally fallen in place.

That occurred Friday with the official opening to traffic of the bridge's northeast ramp leading to the eastbound section of Riverside Drive in Fredericton North.

The ramp will complement what is being described as one of the fastest growing sections of the city.

It will also add to the quality of life for northside residents.

This will be particularly evident during rush hour high volume traffic periods.

It's estimated the ramp, started in 2007 and built at a cost of $4.1 million, will divert more than 3,000 vehicles a day from Union Street between the bridge and Cliffe Street.

That's more than significant for a city our size.

For Fredericton north residents, being spared the monotonous, repetitious and humdrum routine of finding oneself trapped night after night in the same section of slow moving traffic will undoubtedly improve mental health and overall wellness.

It will also help the environment by reducing exhaust emissions and improve family time by allowing motorists to reach their destination that much quicker.

It has the potential to save drivers anywhere from five to 20 minutes on their daily late afternoon pilgrimage home.

Five to 20 minutes may not seem like much but the minutes quickly translate into hours.

So, say each of those 3,000 cars saves even five minutes per journey. That's 15,000 minutes - or 250 hours - or the equivalent of 10.41 extra days of quality time in Fredericton to be enjoyed each day. And that's simply if there was one person in every car.

Aside from rush hour issues, the new ramp and the network of traffic improvements, of which the city received $1 million from the province for, will make manoeuvring easier during low traffic volume times.

Fredericton North now has new and modern retail developments in the Two Nations Crossing area. These are establishments that not only serve northsiders but those who also live on the opposite side of the St. John River.

Fredericton is a growing city on the move.

The opening of the new ramp will help us keep pace with the changes.