Upham suspension footbridge over the Hammond river
By Kyle Purves
Often when we think of a suspension footbridge we think of bridge crossing a large abyss in a far off jungle, like something from an Indiana Jones movie(i.e.,The Temple of Doom). Often in these movies they are portrayed as rickety, unstable and ready to give way at any moment. The truth is just the opposite. When constructed properly they are as strong as any other type of bridge around.
New Brunswick has nine different suspension footbridges (public and private) in various areas of the province. These bridges used to serve a more vital role of connecting up homes built on opposite sides of a particular river. Now they mostly serve as non-vital transportation links often leading to camps or linking up a trail system. In bridge design there are four different types; Arch, Beam, Cable-stayed and Suspension. Suspension bridges get their support from the steel cable(or rope) that supports the decking and the load. The Priceville bridge on the Miramichi would be an example. The old train bridge downtown is of another type, a Beam supported bridge, as most old railway bridges were. A variation of this is the trestle bridge which can be seen on the Petit-Temis trail between Degelis and Cabano Quebec.
What makes suspension bridges special and more fun to cross is the bounce and sway they have each time you cross one. This looseness gives the bridge a sense of character which is unique with each bridge. Each of New Brunswick's bridges is different in their appearance.
The most famous and well known bridge in New Brunswick by far is the Priceville footbridge on the Miramichi. This is the only one around that has two spans instead of the normal one. The province really promotes this as a tourism destination and is kept in very good condition. But earlier this century it did collapse and kill one person when there was only a single span in place. When it was replaced the second span was put in as the distance it crosses over the river is quite long. This bridge is used daily by some locals who park their cars on the other side of the bridge and walk across saving time in commuting to work.
Just down river is the Sillikers footbridge passing over the Little Southwest Miramichi river (now gone as of 2004). This is a more rickety footbridge located near the Red Bank reserve. Of all the bridges in the province this is the one most in need of maintenance. The last time I was there several boards were missing from the deck, it had a pronounced tilt to the right and several supporting timbers were starting to rot. In addition the supporting cable "hand rails" were lower than normal making you have to stoop a little to keep your hands on the steel rail. This bridge would not be good to cross in a high wind.
Perhaps the most unique and fun bridge to see and cross is the rope suspension footbridge located on the Second Falls Nature Park trail out back of Saint-Basile. This bridge is short, perhaps 50 feet across, yet it does look like something from the jungle in an Indiana Jones movie. There is definitely a lot of bounce and sway on this one, be sure to hold on tight when you cross!
The Hammond river near Saint John is home to two suspension bridges, one at Upham and the other near Titusville. The one at Upham is a well kept wooden one leading over to some camps on the other side of the river. The one at Titusville is a more rigid type going over to a single house on the other side of the river.
A crude newer type of footbridge of the homemade looking variety is on the Eel river between York and Carleton counties. It's near Scott's Siding at the end of Dickinson lane. At one time there used to be a covered bridge here but when it was taken out of service and demolished the government built a suspension footbridge here in it's place.
By far my favorite footbridge is the one that crosses the Big Salmon river at the end of the new Fundy Parkway near St. Martins. It is located just upriver from the Interpretive Centre. The Big Salmon river with it's gorge type valley is very picturesque making for a great backdrop for this well-kept little bridge. This gorge is a provincial conservation area.
New Brunswick's suspension footbridges are definitely something worth visiting. If not for their uniqueness than for the sheer fun of walking across these magnificent feats of engineering. Suspension bridges are by far the most beautiful of all bridges.
Did I Miss a Bridge Listing? If I missed a local suspension footbridge in your area of New Brunswick please e-mail the details here, E-mail: lightkeeper AT nblighthouses DOT com
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