Edmundston–Madawaska Bridge
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2021) |
Edmundston–Madawaska Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 47°21′36.5″N 68°19′43.3″W / 47.360139°N 68.328694°W |
| Crosses | Saint John River |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 1,825 feet (556 m) |
| Load limit | 5 tons |
| History | |
| Construction start | 2020 |
| Construction end | 2024 |
| Construction cost | USD 99 million |
| Opened | 1921 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 2,082 |
| Location | |
 | |
The Edmundston–Madawaska Bridge is an international bridge which connects the cities of Edmundston, New Brunswick, in Canada and Madawaska, Maine, in the United States, across the Saint John River.[1] The bridge consists of four steel through truss spans, each 70.71 metres (232.0 ft) in length, for a total length of 287.12 metres (942.0 ft), which carries a two lane open steel grid deck roadway.
The bridge was constructed in 1920, replacing a cable ferry, and opened in 1921. Its original asphalt and timber deck was replaced with the current steel grid deck in 1961.
Transport Canada estimated the bridge's traffic at 759,803 vehicles annually in 2006.
Effective October 27, 2017, the Edmundston–Madawaska Bridge weight restriction was reduced to 5 tons.[2] Vehicles over 5 tons will be rerouted to the Fort Kent–Clair Border Crossing located 33 kilometres (21 mi) west or the Saint Leonard–Van Buren Bridge located 41 kilometres (25 mi) southeast of Edmundston.
Construction on a new bridge, intended to serve as a replacement, began in May 2021. The new bridge is expected to be opened by the end of 2023, after which the current bridge is slated for demolition.[1] In November 2023, a spokesperson for the U.S. General Services Administration said that the new bridge wouldn't open until the Spring of 2024 because of delays in the construction of the U.S. Customs House building. The Maine Department of Transportation said that the entire bridge project, including the demolition of the old bridge, would be completed by 30 June 2025.[3]
The new bridge which cost $135 million opened in June 2024.[4][5] Funding for the construction of the bridge was divided between the U.S. federal government's Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Grant Program (INFRA) and the governments of New Brunswick and Maine.[6]
Border crossing
[edit]The Madawaska - Edmundston Border Crossing is located at the Edmundston–Madawaska Bridge that connects the town of Madawaska, Maine with Edmundston, New Brunswick on the Canada–US border.
The first US border station at Madawaska was a small white cabin at the end of the bridge. Around 1930, a two-story wooden border station was constructed. This was replaced by the current one-story brick border station in 1960. For many years, Canada had a small wooden border station with a red roof. This structure was replaced in 1992 with the current brick facility.
As part of the new bridge construction project, a new land port of entry will be built on the Madawaska side; construction is projected to begin in summer 2021.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Madawaska/Edmundston International Bridge Replacement Project". maine.gov. Maine Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "Weight Limit on Madawaska-Edmundston International Bridge in Maine reduced to five tons beginning Friday, October 27th". livingstonintl.com. November 3, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ MacKinnon, Bobbi-Jean (20 November 2023). "Opening of new international bridge in Edmundston delayed, cost increased". CBC. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ Fowler, Shane (2022-11-17). "New international bridge in northern N.B. hits the halfway mark". CBC. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
- ^ Poitras, Jacques (2024-06-13). "New bridge between New Brunswick and Maine may not revive battered cross-border bonds". CBC. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
- ^ "Senator Collins Announces $36 Million toward Replacement of Madawaska International Bridge | U.S. Senator Susan Collins of Maine". www.collins.senate.gov. 2019-07-22. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
External links
[edit]
- Road bridges in New Brunswick
- Canada–United States bridges
- International bridges in Maine
- Truss bridges in Canada
- Truss bridges in the United States
- Bridges completed in 1920
- Transport in Edmundston
- Buildings and structures in Edmundston
- Transportation buildings and structures in Aroostook County, Maine
- Bridges over the Saint John River (Bay of Fundy)
- Madawaska, Maine
- Road bridges in Maine
- Steel bridges in the United States
- Steel bridges in Canada
- 1921 establishments in Maine
- 1921 establishments in New Brunswick