FREDERICTON -- An historic covered bridge in southern New Brunswick that was heavily damaged by ice and flood waters on the weekend will be demolished.
The Bell Bridge in Hoyt, which was built in 1931, will be replaced with a new single lane, steel bridge that will be located a metre higher in an effort to better survive future floods.
Transportation Minister Bill Fraser says it will be six to eight weeks before the new, modular bridge is complete.
In the meantime, a contractor with a heavy-duty vehicle has been hired to provide taxi service to residents stranded by the bridge closure and unable to drive on a rough woods road into the area.
The Bell Bridge is one of three covered bridges in Hoyt, but residents say it was a significant landmark and favoured gathering spot.
New Brunswick reportedly had about 340 covered bridges in the early 1940s, but once the Bell Bridge is removed, that number will be just 58.
They remain a major part of tourism marketing for the province -- which calls them "kissing bridges" and offers a map of them.
