The Reversing Falls Railway Bridge is the name given to two different steel

truss bridge A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...

s crossing the Saint John River at the same location in Saint John,

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic Canad ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

. The original bridge was constructed in 1885 immediately upstream of a highway crossing known as the Reversing Falls Bridge. Measuring in length, the railway bridge carried a single-track main line. It was constructed by the Saint John Bridge and Railroad Extension Company which was a municipal-owned corporation established to connect two separated sections of the former European and North American Railway project. The eastern section of the E&NAR was merged into the

Intercolonial Railway The Intercolonial Railway of Canada , also referred to as the Intercolonial Railway (ICR), was a historic Canadian railway that operated from 1872 to 1918, when it became part of Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Comp ...

following

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

while the western section was acquired by the

New Brunswick Railway The New Brunswick Railway Company Limited (NBR) is currently a Canadian non-operating railway and land holding company headquartered in Saint John, New Brunswick that is part of "Irving Transportation Services", a division within the J.D. Irving ...

(NBR). The Saint John Bridge and Railroad Extension Company was acquired by the NBR following the construction of the bridge. The NBR was purchased by the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canad ...

in 1890. A replacement structure keeping much of the same design was opened in 1922 to accommodate heavier loads; the original being demolished in 1921. In 1976 NB Power constructed the Lorneville Pipeline from

Irving Oil Irving Oil Ltd. is a Canadian gasoline, oil, and natural gas producing and exporting company. Considered part of the Irving Group of Companies, it was founded by entrepreneur K.C. Irving, Kenneth "K.C." Irving and is privately owned by his son, A ...

's Canaport supertanker oil terminal at Red Head, southeast of the city to the Coleson Cove Generating Station, southwest of the city; it crosses the Saint John River using this bridge. The City of Saint John also uses the bridge to carry water supply pipes. The railway bridge is currently owned and operated by the

New Brunswick Southern Railway The New Brunswick Southern Railway Company Limited is a Canadian short line railway owned by the New Brunswick Railway Company Limited, a holding company that is part of "Irving Transportation Services", a division within the industrial conglo ...

, following CPR's sale of its Canadian Atlantic Railway subsidiary in 1995.

Citations

References

* {{coord, 45.2599, -66.0869, type:landmark_region:CA-NB, display=title Canadian Pacific Railway bridges in Canada Railway bridges in New Brunswick Bridges completed in 1885 Truss bridges in Canada Bridges over the Saint John River (Bay of Fundy) Bridges completed in 1922 Transport in Saint John, New Brunswick Buildings and structures in Saint John, New Brunswick Steel bridges in Canada