New BrunswickThe Poirier Office Road Covered Bridge over the Cocagne River was closed in early July because it was deteriorating. This week, the Department of Transportation confirmed it will be replaced by a modular bridge. Notre-Dame’s Poirier Office Road bridge is the third covered bridge lost in 2025Rhythm Rathi · CBC News · Posted: Nov 02, 2025 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesDismantling of the covered bridge began in early October. (Rhythm Rathi/CBC)People in the small community of Notre-Dame, about 30 kilometres north of Moncton, have been using their covered bridge to cross the Cocagne River for decades.The loss of the historic wooden structure, and the announcement by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure that it will be replaced with a modular steel bridge has provoked mixed reactions.Notre-Dame resident Gilles Leblanc understands some people in the area are “passionate” about the covered bridge, but he is happy he will once again have easy access to his camp on the other side of the river.”I’m very happy to have that done, like knowing that we could access our land again for sure … the mood has changed drastically since we finally found out we’re getting a bridge,” he said. The Poirier Office Road Covered Bridge was closed in early July because of its deteriorating condition. The structure is being replaced by a modular bridge, Jacob MacDonald, spokesperson for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, said this week.The Poirier Office Road bridge was built in 1942. (Rhythm Rathi/CBC)”Repairing the bridge was not feasible and [the department] has instead opted to dismantle the bridge before installing a modular bridge in its place,” he wrote in an email.Leblanc said he’s had to add 20 kilometres to his drive to get to his 40 acres since the covered bridge was closed, and he feared his property value would depreciate. Losing access to the ATV and snowmobile trails across the river was also a big concern for locals like him.He said without the bridge people had to use trailers to transport their ATVs and snowmobiles, to and from the trail because driving them on the detour route was not an option.”The ATV and snowmobile sport around here is very big and people are glad that we are going to have access again.”Gilles Leblanc has been crossing the bridge every week for the last 20 years to visit his property. (Rhythm Rathi/CBC)3rd covered bridge to be lost this yearPatrick Toth, interim president of the Covered Bridges Conservation Association of New Brunswick, said this loss brings the provincial covered bridge count to 56. It once topped 300.This year will be the worst year for covered bridge loss since 1989, Toth said. Three bridges were lost each of those years.The William Mitton Covered Bridge in the Moncton area was demolished in late February and the Germantown Lake or Shepody River bridge in Albert County was removed in April.”I’ve seen covered bridges burned and restored, I’ve seen covered bridges damaged by weather like a tornado, totally flattened one and rebuilt, so … it could be restored. It’s the question of finances.”Toth said anyone who wants to save New Brunswick’s historic covered bridges should write to their MLA. He said timely maintenance can preserve the remaining bridges. “I hate to see any of them go,” he said. “I’ve been a covered bridge enthusiast my entire adult life.”The province says repairing the Poirier Office Road bridge was not a feasible option. (Rhythm Rathi/CBC)Dismantling of the Poirier Office Road bridge began Oct. 8, MacDonald said. He estimated its removal and the construction of a modular bridge will take seven weeks.”During this process, DTI will salvage materials wherever possible to reuse in the maintenance of other covered bridges,” he said.ABOUT THE AUTHORRhythm Rathi is a reporter with CBC New Brunswick in Moncton. He was born and raised in India, and attended journalism school in Ontario. Send your story tips to rhythm.rathi@cbc.ca
Replacing historic covered bridge with a steel structure brings mixed reactions
