Old Port Elgin bridge demolished, to be replaced

The old Port Elgin railway bridge, built circa 1920s, has been demolished, with construction set to start immediately on a new structure which will also span the Gaspereau River within the village.

Located adjacent the municipal wharf, the 90-year-old structure was a swing-bridge capable of rotating sideways to allow the passage of boats and small ships further into the Gaspereau River at Port Elgin.

Beale & Inch Construction Ltd. of Sackville are currently the contractors overseeing the demolition work, while the contract for construction of the new bridge has yet to be awarded.

The project has been spearheaded by the New Brunswick Trails Council, in partnership with the NB Snowmobile Federation, the federal government, TransCanada Trails and the provincial government.

Executive director of the NB Trails Council in Fredericton Poul Jorgensen said last week that the project was made possible through the federal stimulus program.

"As part of the federal government's stimulus package, there has been $25 million across Canada dedicated to trails; $1.3 million is being spent in New Brunswick, and this is one of the projects," he said.

The project, with a $450,000 price tag, will include demolition of the old railway span and construction of a new bridge. Completion date has been projected for March 31, 2010.

"We're looking at a 190-foot through-truss bridge with a 12-foot wide wood deck so it will be suitable for snowmobiles, walking and cycling," he noted, adding that the wide bridge will also allow for passage of snowmobile trail grooming equipment.

Several years ago, the current wooden-deck walking bridge had been condemned by provincial government inspectors due to erosion of the underwater pier supports.

Jorgensen said since the new bridge will not rely on underwater supports, the building contractors will not be required to address the condition of the submerged infrastructure.

"It's going to be a clear span from one end to the other; we will not be touching that (the old underwater supports) at all. That's why we've chosen this type of bridge design," he explained.

He added that the new bridge will be higher than the old walking bridge with a six to eight foot or more clearance at high tide.

In addition to special projects such as the Port Elgin bridge and another in the Nackawic area, Jorgensen noted that $117,000 has been allocated to local trail sponsors for trail improvement.

"It should be noted that these are 50-cent dollars (where both parties contribute the same amount to projects). As well, we're applying for funding for the next fiscal year and although it does look promising, we haven't got the final word on that yet," he said.

Jorgenson also pointed out that additional funding would see the completion of the trail network from Sackville to Cape Tormentine.