One of the region’s most iconic tourism destinations is in need of repairs after being damaged by a snowplow.
The Hartland Covered Bridge in western New Brunswick was damaged when the plow was salting the entrance to the bridge and slid into the frame in the east end.
Kelly Gillin, who lives near the bridge, noticed the damage over the weekend and is now concerned about who will foot the bill.
“If the town has insurance then I'm hoping they would, but if not then I'm sure it would have to come out of everyone else's pocket," said Gillin.
The New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure released a statement Monday saying there was no structural damage to the bridge and it remained open to traffic.
The town of Hartland says road conditions were slippery when the truck slid into the side. But Gillin says she'd like to see more training done to avoid these situations.
“They've lost some of their older employees that know how to do things so I'm sure there are other ones who are just learning, so maybe not so surprising," said Gillin.
Although tourism season technically is over, residents say the Hartland Covered Bridge attracts visitors all year long. They’d like to get it fixed as soon as possible.
"It's the icon of the town," said Gillin. "There are tour buses that will come around to the parking lot here even up until now. The fall is a big tourist season for tour buses.”
The estimated cost of damage is between $1,500 and $2,000. A crew from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is expected to visit the site this week to repair the damage.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ashley Blackford.
