Vehicles blocked from crossing 80-year-old N.B. covered bridge

The covered bridge in St. Martins, N.B., closed suddenly.

Vehicles have been blocked from crossing an 80-year-old covered bridge in New Brunswick.

Barricades were placed on each end of the Hardscrabble Bridge in St. Martins on Friday.

In a statement, New Brunswick’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said the closure was done “in the interest of public safety, due to the structure’s deteriorated condition.”

Fundy-St. Martins Mayor John Cairns said the province gave the municipality notice about two weeks ago that the bridge would be blocked to traffic but didn’t give a specific date.

Cairns said the bridge’s closure to vehicles on Friday was sudden.

“It really bothered me that we didn’t have a chance to let the people know well in advance,” said Cairns.

A vehicle detour is in place for residents affected by the blockade, which adds about four minutes of driving.

Pedestrians are still permitted to cross the bridge.

The provincial government’s statement said constructing a replacement covered bridge was being considered, but also said it was too early for specific details on potential options.

Hampton-Fundy–St. Martins MLA John Herron announced the bridge’s closure in a social media post on Friday and said, “there will be a new bridge and yes it will be covered.”

Herron’s post said construction was at “a minimum a couple of years down the road and will depend on future DTI capital budgets.”

The immediate area around St. Martins Harbour/Irish River is known as the only place in the world where you can capture two covered bridges and a lighthouse in the same picture.

The Vaughan Creek Bridge, just a short walk away, was rebuilt as a two-lane covered bridge in 2022. The original Vaughan Creek Bridge was built in 1935 but closed to traffic in June 2017 due to deterioration.

Cairns said it’s critical for the Hardscrabble Bridge to remain a covered bridge, no matter what repairs or replacements are carried out.

“I want to make sure that when we see the plans for whatever they’re going to put there, it will keep the integrity of the whole area,” he said.

The New Brunswick government lists a total of 56 covered bridges still standing across the province, with 51 maintained by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.