Florenceville Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The bridge across the Saint John River is partly covered. | |
| Coordinates | 46°26′30″N67°37′17″W / 46.441672°N 67.621279°W |
| Crosses | Saint John River |
| Locale | Florenceville, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Wood |
| Trough construction | Steel |
| History | |
| Opened | 1887 |
| Rebuilt | 1907 |
| Location | |
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The Florenceville Bridge consists of one wooden covered span combined with four steel truss spans and one girder span which crosses the Saint John River at Florenceville, New Brunswick, Canada. The bridge has evolved from a five span UNCOVERED wooden Burr Truss structure which was built in 1884, 1885 and was officially opened in 1886. In 1906 the western span was converted to a COVERED How Truss, and in 1907 the eastern span was converted to the present COVERED How Truss.
In 1911 the three middle UNCOVERED spans were replaced with the present steel spans, and in 1917 the original wooden piers were replaced with concrete piers.
In 1932 the western wooden COVERED How Truss span was destroyed by fire and was replaced with the steel span which is there today. This is the only fire that ever damaged the bridge.
The bridge was NEVER a fully covered bridge. The misconception that the bridge was originally fully covered and that somehow all these initially covered spans, burned, and were replaced with steel uncovered spans is totally mistaken. The initial number of covered spans was ZERO (1886), becoming ONE in 1906, becoming TWO in 1907, then being reduced to the present ONE covered span due to the 1932 fire of the western COVERED How Truss span.
Today the Florenceville Bridge is the oldest bridge across the Saint John River in the exact same place as when originally opened. There are many photos of the Florenceville Bridge which confirm the history as outlined above.
It has been closed to vehicular traffic since late 2020. [1] However, the bridge is open to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The bridge affords very scenic views of the Saint John River and the Town of Florenceville-Bristol. In 2024 the government cancelled plans to renovate the structure. [2]
