Close call: Scaffolding collapses near 108-year-old covered bridge in New Brunswick
Close call: Scaffolding collapses near 108-year-old covered bridge in New Brunswick
People who live near New Brunswick’s Smithtown Covered Bridge say they heard ominous creaking in the lead up to several stories of scaffolding collapsing close to the wooden link.
It happened Thursday morning. A resident, who didn’t want to be named, was curious about the sound and began recording video of the already damaged scaffolding just before it fell into the Hammond River.
The New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI) says the scaffolding at the Smithtown Covered Bridge in Hampton, N.B., collapsed due to the high water resulting from heavy rains overnight Wednesday into Thursday.
DTI says district staff confirm the bridge itself wasn't damaged. Video shows some boards were broken from the bridge when the scaffolding was being pushed by the river.
As for the 108-year-old covered bridge, the department says there is no damage to the structure after the collapse.
“The scaffold installer for the project was contacted early Thursday morning to assess the area and began removal of scaffolding, which will continue today and into next week,” said a spokesperson in a statement to CTV News.
“Some scaffolding may remain in the river; but will be removed once the water recedes.”
The historic Smithtown Covered Bridge is seen in Hampton, N.B., on Dec. 2, 2022, a day after after scaffolding collapsed next to the structure. (Nick Moore/CTV Atlantic)
The province says it’s looking at options other than scaffolding to complete the work being done to the bridge. It had hoped to have the work completed this week, but the province says the incident will likely push the project back by at least two weeks.
In the meantime, the Damascus Road approaches to the bridge remain open to traffic.
British Columbia is taking a major step forward in its fight against the province’s deadly overdose crisis by decriminalizing the possession of a small amount of certain illicit drugs for personal use.
A report commissioned by a non-profit organization founded by the late Jean Vanier says the Canadian sexually abused 25 women during his decades with the group.
A six-year-old girl died in hospital Sunday night after being involved in an incident at the Val-Saint-Côme ski resort in Lanaudiere. Quebec police are investigating, though details into the event are not yet known. Officers indicated that it involved a T-bar lift, but they were not able to say more.
The coronavirus remains a global health emergency, the World Health Organization chief said Monday, after a key advisory panel found the pandemic may be nearing an 'inflection point' where higher levels of immunity can lower virus-related deaths.
New guidance for drinking alcohol could speed up changing consumer drinking habits as younger generations drink less and non-alcoholic beverages become more popular, advocates and business owners in the beverage industry say.
Members of Parliament return to Ottawa to resume sitting for the first time in 2023 on Monday, with the state of Canada's health-care system, the health of the Canadian economy, and rates of violent crime in this country all top of mind.
Quebec's minister responsible for secularism, Jean-Francois Roberge, has called on Canada’s new special anti-Islamophobia advisor Amira Elghawaby to apologize and step down.
The Farmers' Almanac just revealed its spring 2023 forecast and Ontario, along with much of the rest of Canada, is expected to see a “turbulent transition to warmth,” the agency predicts.
A Toronto passenger said her Sunwing Airlines flight was unforgettable as she recounted the moments after the pilot shut down the plane’s engine mid-flight to Montego Bay on Friday.
Quebec's minister responsible for secularism, Jean-Francois Roberge, has called on Canada’s new special anti-Islamophobia advisor Amira Elghawaby to apologize and step down.
A report commissioned by a non-profit organization founded by the late Jean Vanier says the Canadian sexually abused 25 women during his decades with the group.
Quebec RCMP say they rescued a man over the weekend who became lost in the woods in heavy snow while trying to cross the border into the United States.
The Mindbender roller coaster at Galaxyland has been shut down, West Edmonton Mall announced on Monday. The redevelopment of the area is already underway, and the roller coaster is being decommissioned and removed.
A 20-year-old man has been arrested and charged after police say he caused more than $5,000 worth of damage to an Edmonton Transit Bus and threatened a female passenger, acts that drew condemnation from Alberta's premier.
Two people discovered asleep in a vehicle in Sault Ste. Marie on Jan. 30 were found with weapons and more than $175,000 in illegal drugs, Sault police said Monday.
Actor Annie Wersching, best known for playing FBI agent Renee Walker in the series '24' and providing the voice for Tess in the video game 'The Last of Us' has died. She was 45.
A person has been charged following the death of a pedestrian in a crash last week. As previously reported by CTV News, a pedestrian was struck by a car near Hamilton Road and Watmar Avenue on Jan. 24.
Police in St. Thomas, Ont. are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect who they allege participated in a violent home invasion over the weekend.
Bobby Hull once proudly said that he played the way he lived -- straightforward. The Hockey Hall of Famer, who electrified fans through the 1960s and 70s, died on Monday at the age of 84. Hull played for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks before a jump to the Winnipeg Jets of the upstart World Hockey Association in 1972, a move that led to lawsuits but ultimately higher salaries for hockey players.
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson promoted four backbenchers from suburban Winnipeg areas to her inner circle Monday in a cabinet shuffle eight months out from an election.
A report into the impact of the "Freedom Convoy" occupation on residents of Ottawa has accused all three levels of government of failing to uphold the human rights of people who live and work in downtown Ottawa.
Ontario Provincial Police have formally identified a woman who was found dead in Eganville last week as the mother of an 18-year-old man accused of murder.
A man accused of murder said he has been behind bars at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre for the last 1,310 days and is only allowed out three hours each day.
British Columbia is taking a major step forward in its fight against the province’s deadly overdose crisis by decriminalizing the possession of a small amount of certain illicit drugs for personal use.
A Vancouver police sergeant who says he was Const. Nicole Chan's friend and mentor has told a coroner's inquest that Chan believed she would never return to work because human resource officers went to the hospital when she was apprehended under the Mental Health Act.
The Maidstone RCMP are looking for a suspect following the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl in the dressing room at the Lashburn Sportsplex on Sunday afternoon.
Mounties are asking the public for help finding a 30-year-old woman missing in Nanaimo, B.C. Police say Samantha Evans has not been heard from since Jan. 11. Her family contacted the Nanaimo RCMP one week later and a missing person's investigation was launched on Jan. 18.
The historic Smithtown Covered Bridge is seen in Hampton, N.B., on Dec. 2, 2022, a day after after scaffolding collapsed next to the structure. (Nick Moore/CTV Atlantic)
