Cleanup begins at fabrication yard by Confederation Bridge

Cleanup has begun at the old fabrication yard near in Borden-Carleton, P.E.I.

The 45-hectare waterfront property is prime real estate, and there have been previous calls to clean up the site — littered with slabs of concrete leftover from the construction of the Confederation Bridge in the 1990s.

Companies from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have won the three bids to do the cleanup work.

Matthew MacKay, P.E.I.'s minister of economic growth and tourism, said the project will cost a little over $1.3 million, about half of what was originally estimated.

The leftover concrete and rebar will be recycled and reused in future provincial construction projects. A decision has not yet been made on whether the yard's remaining jetty will be available for future public use, MacKay said.

"With that parcel of land, we feel that we can put numerous projects in there. So we'd really like to work closely with the Town of Borden and the surrounding business community, as well," he said.

"We think if we go into another RFP and see what's there, we're going to try and put as many businesses and housing in that as we can to make it work."

Cleanup is expected to be completed by the end of August.