Covered bridge in Rusagonis open to traffic
Published Wednesday January 28th, 2009
The Patrick Owen Covered Bridge bridge in Rusagonis has been reopened to traffic after Transportation Department staff repaired the structure for the second time in less than a year.
The bridge links Wilsey Road with Rusagonis. Motorists have had to use Bryson and Rusagonis roads as alternate routes.
Overhead beams that keep the bridge from swaying when it's windy or when a heavy vehicle rumbles across were struck last week by an oversized vehicle trying to cross the bridge. The driver didn't stick around to confess to damaging the structure.
Last June, a transport truck smashed supporting timbers in the ceiling. The bridge was damaged when he tried to free his cab by backing out, ripping some of the roof supports.
Built in 1909, the bridge is the second-longest covered bridge in the province and is a provincial Tourism and Parks Department attraction.
Area residents are proud of their landmark and are planning a reunion and summer festival in August to celebrate the bridge's centenary, Department of Transportation spokesman Andrew Holland said.
Transportation Minister Denis Landry pledged to spend the $7,000-$10,000 needed to fix the structure.
"We're happy to have the work done. This is important. It's a well-used bridge and we're glad to have it back in circulation," Landry said Tuesday.
Transportation Department staff worked both on- and off-site to rebuild and replace the beams and frames weakened by the vehicle assault.
The job got done more quickly than expected, he said.
"We would encourage motorists and members of the trucking community to please obey and observe and respect the signs regarding not only the weight limits, but the height limitations," Landry said.
The bridge is an important piece of New Brunswick heritage worth preserving, Landry said.
The Patrick Owen Covered Bridge is 72 metres (236 feet) and is second longest covered bridge in the province. The covered bridge in Hartland, at 391-metres (1,282-feet) long, is the longest.
The bridge is signed with a 3.7-metre height limit and a 10-tonne weight capacity. That makes it off-limits to all transport trucks.
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