Roadside Help Near the Confederation Bridge Approach by Moncton

If your car quits on the Confederation Bridge itself, call Bridge Control at 902-437-7349 or use an emergency phone on a light pole. The bridge has its own tow service. If it quits on Route 16 or Route 15 on the way from Moncton, get off the pavement, turn on your hazards and call for roadside help. If anyone is hurt or you're stuck in a live lane, call 911 first.

How do you get from Moncton to the Confederation Bridge?

The bridge operator gives a simple route. From Moncton, take Route 15 east to Port Elgin. Then take Route 16 east toward Prince Edward Island. Route 15 ends at a roundabout called the Port Elgin Rotary, in Strait Shores. That's where you join Route 16.

Some drivers go the other way. They take Route 2 toward Nova Scotia, then leave at exit 513 near Aulac. Route 16 starts there at a cloverleaf and runs east about 52 km to the bridge.

Either way, the last part is the same road. Know these spots so you can tell someone where you are:

• Port Elgin Rotary: where Route 15 meets Route 16 in Strait Shores.
• Exit 47: Route 955 to Cape Tormentine and Murray Corner. The bridge's New Brunswick facility is here, about 5 km from the bridge.
• Exit 51: Cape Jourimain and its nature center, right at the foot of the bridge.
• The bridge deck: once you pass exit 51, you're on the bridge and Bridge Control's rules apply.

Why is Route 16 a harder place to break down?

Route 16 is a two-lane highway. It's not a divided four-lane road like Route 2. So when your car stops, oncoming traffic is just one line away. There's no second lane for trucks to move into.

The stretch from Malden to the bridge is a controlled-access road. You can't just turn off into a side road whenever you like. You leave only at the interchanges. That's why exits 47 and 51 matter so much.

Watch for moose signs too. The road runs through quiet country between small places like Baie Verte, Timber River and Bayfield. At night, your headlights may be the only light around.

What should you do if your car quits on the approach?

Say your tire goes soft past the Port Elgin Rotary. Or your battery light comes on near Bayfield. Here's the order to follow.

1. Hazards on, right away. Do it while you're still rolling.
2. Get off the pavement if you can. New Brunswick law says that outside a town, you can't stop on the paved part of the road when you could pull off it. If your car is truly stuck, the law makes room for that.
3. Aim for an exit. If the car still drives, exit 47 or exit 51 is a far better place to stop than the shoulder.
4. If you stop in a lane, call 911. A stalled car in a lane on a two-lane highway is an emergency. Stay belted in.
5. Note where you are. Your direction, the last exit or roundabout, and the nearest community name.

Don't change a tire with your back to traffic on a narrow shoulder. Wait in the car with your belt on. A flat tire change by your driver, with your spare, is safer than doing it yourself beside a busy lane.

Who helps you if your car breaks down on the bridge itself?

This part surprises people. The Confederation Bridge has its own help. The operator says the bridge is watched 24 hours a day, and it uses its own tow service.

• Use an emergency phone. They're on the light poles along the bridge.
• Or call Bridge Control at 902-437-7349.
• Call 911 if anyone is hurt.

So if your car dies on the bridge deck, don't call us first. Call Bridge Control. They know the bridge, and they can see it. Ask them where your car will be left once it's off the deck.

Don't get out and walk, either. Walkers and cyclists aren't allowed on the bridge at all. The bridge runs a shuttle for them instead. The barrier wall is 1.1 meters high, so most cars can't even see the water. Other drivers may not see you standing there.

What does New Brunswick law say about stopping on a bridge?

The Motor Vehicle Act says no one may stop, stand or park on any bridge or raised structure of a highway. It allows for stops you can't avoid. It also lets police remove a car left alone on a bridge or causeway if it blocks traffic. So stay with your car, and get help moving it.

Will wind stop you from crossing?

For most cars, no. The bridge operator says it rarely closes to all traffic. Bridge Control watches the wind all day and night. When steady winds pass 70 km/h, with gusts above 85 km/h, it may limit some vehicles.

Those limits usually hit three groups:

• High-sided vehicles, over 2.2 meters tall, racks included.
• Motorcycles.
• Vehicles towing something, like a trailer.

Most pickups, SUVs and vans are well under 2.2 meters. But a tall roof box can push you over. Check before you leave Moncton. The bridge has an app and email alerts. You can also call 902-437-7300 for current conditions. For the roads on the New Brunswick side, check New Brunswick 511.

If you're held back, the operator points New Brunswick drivers to its facility at exit 47. It has washrooms. That's a much better wait than the shoulder.

Can you leave your car near the bridge and come back for it?

Not at the shuttle spots. The operator says it has no parking at its pick-up and drop-off points on either side. Any vehicle left at either spot will be towed.

So if your car won't start near the New Brunswick facility, don't just walk away from it. Get it moved. A tow to a shop in Moncton or another town is better than an unplanned tow you didn't ask for. Sentinel doesn't handle impounds, so plan the move before you leave the car.

What small problems can strand you near the bridge?

Trouble on the approach is often small. It's the same stuff you'd face in town, just farther from help.

• Dead battery: you stop at Cape Jourimain to see the bridge, and the car won't start after. A jump start usually fixes it.
• Keys locked in: you step out at exit 51 for a photo and the door locks behind you. That's a car lockout call.
• Flat tire: on the two-lane road, wait in the car and let your driver put on the spare.
• Car won't drive: it needs a tow off Route 16 to the shop you pick.

Tolls are paid when you leave Prince Edward Island, at Borden-Carleton. So you don't pay a toll on the way over from Moncton.

How does Sentinel help on the New Brunswick side?

Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network. A vetted local partner tow company does the job. We lock your price by text before anyone is sent. Then we check on you by text until help arrives. You get your driver's name, photo and truck first. That's our Stay-With-You Promise.

When you call from Route 16 or Route 15, say these things:

1. The road, and whether you're heading to the bridge or back to Moncton.
2. The last exit or the Port Elgin Rotary, and the nearest community.
3. The problem: flat, dead battery, keys locked in, or won't drive.
4. Where the car should go, if it needs a tow.

Our Moncton towing page covers the city, Dieppe, Riverview and the roads around them.

Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.

Confederation Bridge Roadside Questions

Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: Confederation Bridge passenger vehicles, Confederation Bridge restrictions, Confederation Bridge getting here, Confederation Bridge pedestrians and cyclists, Confederation Bridge tolls, NB Motor Vehicle Act, New Brunswick 511, Route 16 route description.