The Point Wolfe Bridge is a red

covered bridge A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...

that crosses the Point Wolfe River at

Fundy National Park Fundy National Park is a national park of Canada located on the Bay of Fundy, near the village of Alma, New Brunswick. It was created on April 10, 1946 and officially opened on July 29, 1950. The park showcases a rugged coastline which rises up ...

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

, Canada. It is one of the two covered bridges in Fundy National Park, connecting the Point Wolfe Road from the Point Wolfe campground to the rest of the park. It was originally built in 1909, following the collapse of a bridge one year prior. The Point Wolfe Bridge was once again rebuilt in 1992 after a workplace accident in December 1990 resulted in the bridge collapsing.

History

Since 1853, there have been a total of five bridges that have stood in the location of Point Wolfe Bridge. One of these bridges fell in 1908, was rebuilt in 1909, and opened in 1910 at a cost of $1,456. The Point Wolfe Bridge predates

, which was created on April 10, 1948, and officially opened on July 29, 1950. On December 29, 1990, the Point Wolfe Bridge collapsed when workers tried removing a rock that engineers deemed posed a safety risk to the bridge. The rock was a glacial rocking stone which had been there for eons. The engineers decided to use explosives to remove the rock to save the bridge. The rock rolled down the slope above the bridge hitting the abutments and knocking the bridge off the abutments and into the river, causing it to collapse. This should be an example of engineering error where bad engineering judgement resulted in disaster. It should be an example of engineering where engineering need not be done. Shortly following the accident, the federal government announced that they would be rebuilding the bridge with close resemblance to the former one, with a temporary bridge being used in the meantime. In 1992, it was rebuilt at a cost of CA$545,000.

References

{{reflist Road bridges in New Brunswick Covered bridges in Canada Wooden bridges in Canada Bridges completed in 1909 Bridges completed in 1992 Buildings and structures in Albert County, New Brunswick Transport in Albert County, New Brunswick 1909 establishments in New Brunswick

History

See also

References