Local businesses, politicians frustrated with lack of progress
Who will save the historic Florenceville Covered Bridge and its four steel spans crossing the St. John River? It’s a multi-million dollar question for community residents advocating for the bridge to be repaired and reopened for the last four years.
The historic structure dates back to 1886 and is the oldest covered bridge spanning the St. John River system. It was closed by the province to all vehicle traffic in 2020 for safety reasons after corrosion was reported on the steel sections of the bridge.
In 2023, the former Higgs government issued a request for proposals for a contractor to undertake major repairs to the bridge, but then backed out when the bids came in at $28 million to $42 million. Since then, the province has said little about the bridge’s future.
“It’s very frustrating,” said Gordon Hunter, a retired lawyer and local historian. “It’s all about the money. If it’s in bad shape, it’s because of neglect. They should have been taking care of the bridge and repairing it as time went on. People here would like to see it fixed. It has united residents on the east and west sides of the river for over 100 years.”
“We should be protesting about this bridge,” added David Hunter, also of Florenceville-Bristol. “We’re not convinced the local government has put up enough of a fuss. It’s the provincial government that has to commit to this.”
Carleton North Mayor Andrew Harvey said the council has requested a meeting with Chuck Chiasson, the provincial Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, to discuss local issues, and the historic Florenceville Bridge is on the agenda. He said the rural municipality cannot afford to take ownership of the bridge and must rely on the province to step up to the plate.
“We’re still exploring options and hoping to meet with the department soon,” said Harvey. “I think they are looking at it, but there are a lot of bridges in limbo or under construction in the province. We’ll see what happens after they get the highway bridge done. We’re pushing for it to try and reach a resolution. The old bridge does have historic value. A lot of wheels have driven over it.”
Allison McCain, a director with McCain Foods Ltd., said he hopes the historic bridge can be used again as an economic tool for the community. He and his wife, Claire, operate the Boardwalk Café on the structure’s east end.
“It’s got some good history,” said McCain. “It’s right in the middle of town and provides a shorter route into the business centre. We employ a lot of people here. The town has to look prosperous to support the investments being made. It works both ways.”
McCain said he is “trying to be optimistic” that the Holt government will be persuaded to make a decision.
“Over a lifetime, $30 million is not bad,” McCain stated. “If we don’t fix it, there’s another cost to tear it down. We can’t just leave it there abandoned to fall down. Sooner or later, there has to be a solution found.”
Gordon Hunter has circulated a petition to save the bridge and gathered 4,600 signatures to take to the Legislative Assembly. The old bridge is designated a local historic place because it represents a significant moment in the growth and development of the former village. It replaced ferry travel and served as a long-time commercial link for residents on both sides of the river. The covered bridge portion on the east side is also an important tourist attraction.
“I’d like to see the bridge open to light traffic, one lane, with the provision for pedestrian and bike traffic,” said Hunter. “I don’t believe it’s beyond repair. We need people to pick up the phone and start calling the Premier’s Office. It takes public pressure and influence to get things done.”
In April of 2024, Hunter met former Premier Blaine Higgs in Florenceville-Bristol during the solar eclipse event. He commended the former premier for investing in the provincial museum in Saint John and then reminded him about the need for repairs to the historic Florenceville bridge.
“I told him: ‘Our history is right down here in the river,'” Hunter said.
“That’s our bridge and it’s kept people together on both sides of the river for over 100 years and we’re expecting you to get it fixed.'”
Higgs acknowledged his concerns but made no commitment.
Carleton Victoria MLA Margaret Johnson said she remains “exceedingly frustrated” about the bridge’s future.
She participated in the government announcement in October 2023 and then returned to the municipal council in June 2024 to deliver the bad news about the repair project being cancelled.
She said the wooden portion of the bridge posed the least problem, while repairs to the steel sections and the piers put the project out of financial reach. A total of $10 million was allocated for the work to begin. At one point, a bailey bridge was considered to replace the four steel spans.
Since the provincial election, Johnson has been asking the Holt government to get the project back on track. She said a commitment to fix the bridge was made during the 2024 Liberal election campaign.
“It’s a major inconvenience for people living on the west side of the bridge,” Johnson said. “I was told flat out there will be no money this year. It means a lot to people of the area so I’m going to keep fighting for it. It’s a liability just standing as it is.”
Johnson noted that an access road on the west end of the bridge was upgraded in 2016 when the province invested $300,000 to replace a washed-out culvert with a Bailey bridge at Buttermilk Creek. The town also invested in the upgrade.
Then, in 2019, all vehicle traffic was diverted to the old bridge for several months while major repairs got underway on the Route 130 highway bridge nearby.
In 2020, three months before the old bridge was closed, an overhead barrier was erected on Riverside Drive on the west side to stop heavy truck traffic. The same type of barrier was also installed at the entrance on the east side.
“If they knew it was decrepit, why would they send traffic over it and then turn around and close it,” David Hunter stated. “I think it was a set up job to close it, the way they did it.”
The historic bridge in Florenceville is overshadowed by a downriver counterpart, the Hartland Covered Bridge, which is known for being the longest covered bridge in the world. Built in 1901, the Hartland Covered Bridge has been undergoing repairs since January and is a top tourist attraction in New Brunswick.
“Our bridge was open 15 years before there was any bridge in Hartland,” Gordon Hunter contended. “Our bridge is the oldest covered span on the St. John River. It has never burned down. A fire in 1932 burned only one covered span on the west side.”
He explained that the original bridge was entirely wooden and never fully covered. The west end span was covered in 1906, and the east end span in 1907. Then, in 1911, three steel spans were installed in the middle section of the bridge. In 1917 and 1918, the bridge’s stone-filled wooden piers were replaced with concrete piers and abutments. A steel span replaced the west end after the fire in 1932.
As for today, Hunter believes the conditions listed in the province’s 2023 proposal requests were unrealistic and drove up repair costs. He recalls lots of work being done on the piers in 1990. Extensive repairs to the covered bridge portion were also completed in 2012.
Hunter recently attended a municipal council meeting to request that a sign erected on the covered bridge be replaced with proper historical information. The council is following up on his request.
Jacob MacDonald, a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, said in an email that the old bridge has been deemed unsafe for traffic but remains open for pedestrians. It is among the oldest bridges in the department’s inventory, and the province says the repairs are too costly. However, he said the department remains open to discussing the bridge’s future.
Dr. Clay Marco operates a medical office on the east side of downtown. He believes tourism should be a priority for the province, which means preserving and promoting historic covered bridges. He wants the transportation department to remove the “ugly, orange, closed bridge signs,” which have discouraged tourists from visiting the bridge year after year. Marco wants the old bridge maintained for pedestrian and bicycle traffic as a last resort.
“I hope it doesn’t have to be torn down,” said Dr. Marco. “It’s an old historic bridge and should be saved in some version. That’s the bottom line.”
Dale Forster, retired chief engineer with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, said the geometry of the old bridge makes it difficult for contractors to access and repair the bridge. The east side entrance is fully integrated with the downtown street and sidewalk, while the west end sits at the foot of a hill.
Before it closed, he said the bridge operated with a weight restriction for one traffic lane. Like other aging structures, erosion, ice and salt damage took their toll over time. The bridge no longer has lights or snow removal due to the closure.
“Can the province afford to have a bridge that’s just for cars?” Forster asked. “That’s the question. The practicality is what is comes down to – whether to repair and maintain a museum piece. Whether it’s a critical transportation piece is what the department looks at. It might be hard to justify with the highway bridge close by.”
The multi-year project on the Route 130 highway bridge has compounded transportation problems for residents. With the St. John River dividing the District of Carleton North, residents and tourists have been forced to navigate a single lane of traffic from one side of the community to the other. After seven years of construction, the Route 130 highway bridge, built in 1967, is slated to be completed in November of this year.
“That bridge was never designed or intended to replace the old historic bridge,” Gordon Hunter concluded. “It is a high speed, narrow, curved structure with no provision for walking or biking safely. It has been under repair for serious structural issues for several years.”
