Rising Ice Jam Threatens Hartland Covered Bridge

From news item forwarded by Gérald Arbour

 

January 19, 2006, HARTLAND, NB - A massive ice jam on the Saint John River has settled underneath the 105-year-old span and is rising, threatening to lift the 1283-foot-long bridge off its piers.

The nearly four-mile-long ice jam has risen to within 10 feet of the bridge floor. There is normally 39 feet of clearance above the river's surface.

The ice jam is the result of rain and mild temperatures that have caused some ice on the river to break up prematurely. The rain has also caused flooding along the Saint John and Miramichi Rivers.

For photos and details go to www.theglobeandmail.com/national/.