New Brunswick to lose another covered bridge

Oliver Pearson · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

A covered span adjacent Fundy National Park that's been closed for astir a twelvemonth volition beryllium taken down, leaving 57 covered bridges successful a state that erstwhile had hundreds. 

Heather Russell, the Fundy Albert lawman mayor, said she's had authoritative quality that the Shepody River No. 3 covered span volition beryllium dismantled and a caller span volition spell up successful its spot this summer.

The 19-metre covered span was built successful 1903 but had to be closed due to the fact that of "significant" structural deterioration, the state said.

"It was conscionable axenic relief," Russell said of the replacement plan.

The span crosses the Shepody River in Germantown, a thrust of astir 65 kilometres southbound of Moncton, and volition beryllium replaced by a single-lane modular span this summer.

The Rossiter household has been waiting for the decision since the span was closed past June.

"They're excited. They can't hold for the caller bridge," Stephanie Rossiter, whose parents person lived 2 minutes from the span for more than 50 years, said Tuesday..

Sylvia and Hilyard Rossiter have been taking a 20-minute detour to transverse Marsh Road and get onto Route 114. But the detour was becoming a safety interest due to the fact that the ungraded portions crook muddy successful the wintertime and spring.

"It was besides a large interest for my member and I because, you know, we disquieted astir the ambulance oregon occurrence motortruck successful the lawsuit of an emergency, and this mode it takes that interest off," Stephanie said.

She said different radical unrecorded connected their roadworthy person to the Marsh Road crossing, but her parents are affected the astir erstwhile there's nary bridge.

Russell agreed the detour had go a  interest for her and council. 

"We've seen pictures arsenic well," she said. "It's a ungraded roadworthy and you cognize what happens successful the spring? When mud becomes a small spot bedewed with immoderate frost coming retired of the ground, it conscionable becomes a implicit disaster."

Russell, who became lawman politician successful January portion the mayor's presumption was empty, immediately shared the quality of a replacement with the Rossiter family.

"It was a large day ending my time erstwhile I was capable to telephone them and fto them know," she said.

Some people, however, are disappointed New Brunswick volition suffer different historical bridge.

"When I did find out, I was wholly upset," said Ray Boucher, the president of the Covered Bridges Conservation Association of New Brunswick.

"It killed my day. I couldn't bash different happening aft that." 

His relation has worked with the authorities to prevention bridges successful the past, Boucher said, pointing to the Vaughan Creek  span successful St. Martins as one of their occurrence stories.

In the 1950s, the state had much than 350 covered bridges, helium said.

Boucher said helium doesn't spot however a situation to the Shepody Bridge decision could succeed.

"How beardown are petitions … arsenic acold arsenic the authorities is concerned? It has immoderate weight, but however galore individuals unrecorded successful that area? I would accidental that the numbers are astir apt excessively tiny to beryllium precise effective."

Russell said she has seen comments astir redeeming the span and doesn't "disagree." She said the span could beryllium repurposed to a walking bridge, but that's up to the province.

"Our extremity close present is to marque definite that the Rossiter household tin get successful and retired of their location safely," she said.

Russell said Fundy Albert volition conscionable Department of Transportation and Infrastructure officials next  period to sermon the caller bridge.