N.B. covered bridges need preservation plans, especially ahead of flood season: advocate

The president of Covered Bridges Conservation Association of New Brunswick is calling on the provincial government to communicate plans to preserve more than 50 covered bridges across the province.

Raymond Boucher’s face lights up when he walks through a covered bridge, but he’s concerned about the status of the bridges after not hearing firm plans from the New Brunswick government more than a year after a presentation to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.

“A year has gone by, and we’ve seen nothing concrete,” Boucher says.

READ MORE: New Brunswick’s covered bridges and river ferries under review

The group was calling for confirmation that no further bridges would be destroyed; instead, suggesting the province repair any of the 54 wooden structures within its jurisdiction, and put back into service.

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“Because they are a heritage structure and valuable to tourism as well, we feel that they should be repaired, not replaced,” Boucher says.

The cost to repair, he says, would be between half-to-two-thirds the cost of a replacement.

“We’re losing too many of them,” he says. “Every year, it seems we lose one or two to flooding, or they’re closed down.”

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Boucher says there were 380 bridges standing across the province in the 1950s. While 54 are maintained by the province, four others totaling 58, are looked after by the City of Moncton and federal government.

And the clock is ticking on plans to preserve, he says.

“We’re heading into another flood season and we know of at least half a dozen bridges that could be in danger this year.”

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Raising those bridges above potential floodwaters could be a temporary fix, he suggests.

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Bill Oliver wasn’t available for an interview Wednesday.

In January 2019, the New Brunswick government announced a review of covered bridges and ferries. In part, it considered an inspection and study of five bridges in the south, done by Timber Restoration Services.

At the time of the review announcement, the department said “the review will support a long-term management strategy,” and that the “department intends to present financial requirements related to the strategy as part of the 2020-21 capital budget process.”