J.C. Van Horne Bridge

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The J.C. Van Horne Bridge is a Canadian steel through truss/steel deck truss bridge crossing the Restigouche River between Campbellton, New Brunswick and Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec.

Built between June 1958 and October 1961, the bridge was opened to traffic on October 15, 1961. As an interprovincial crossing, the bridge was constructed under a three-party agreement between the governments of Canada, New Brunswick and Quebec.

Measuring 805 m (2641.07 ft) in total length, the bridge consists of four deck-truss approach-spans joined in the middle with a cantilever-through-truss structure. The middle structure is comprised of two anchor spans and one clear span over the navigational channel measuring 380 m (1246.71 ft). It carries 2 traffic lanes and 2 sidewalks.

[edit] History

The crossing at the mouth of the Restigouche between Campbellton and Pointe-à-la-Croix had long been a bone of contention by locals in both provinces. Ferry services were adequate until the 1950s when vehicle traffic began to grow at much higher rate than forecast. By the late-1950s, local New Brunswick politician J.C. Van Horne made the case for a bridge and invited respresentatives from the federal and provincial governments to witness a "typical weekend" lineup at the ferries; Van Horne had chosen the Quebec St. Jean Baptiste Day holiday weekend and the lineups were predictably long on both sides, convincing the government representatives who acceded to Van Horne's wishes; the bridge was later named in his honour.