N.B. bridge pegged for recreational use to be demolished instead

A decommissioned bridge over New Brunswick’s Northwest Miramichi River will be demolished after initially being pegged as a future path for recreational purposes.

The Anderson Bridge near Miramichi, N.B., which was replaced last fall by the Natoaganeg Crossing Bridge on Route 8, was announced for conversion into a trail for recreational purposes by the former Progressive Conservative government in August 2024.

This week, the provincial government said it was recently notified by Quad NB and Snowmobile NB that it would no longer pursue the Anderson Bridge for its trail systems.

“This decision comes after a careful review of the structure and an unknown scope of additional work required to make the bridge safe to use,” said Chuck Chiasson, minister of transportation and infrastructure, in a social media post. “As such, DTI will begin preparations for the demolition of the structure.”

In its own social media post, Snowmobile NB said the organization had been working to understand the budget for annual inspections and maintenance and that the total was “significant.”

“We did communicate to the government we would have to pass on this project and hope to work together in the future,” said a statement from Snowmobile NB.

Chiasson’s social media post was also shared by Quad NB.

The Anderson Bridge, which first opened to traffic in 1953, was reduced to one lane with traffic lights on both sides in 2016 after deterioration was detected.

There’s been no timeline, nor budget provided from the provincial government on the bridge’s demolition.

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