'It's part of us': Quispamsis residents upset over tear-down of covered bridge

Christine Erb fought back tearswhile talking about the covered bridge being torn down, not far from her home near Quispamsis.

Erb is disappointed the provincial government wouldn't hear a last-ditch plan to save the Hammond River No. 2 Bridge, asentiment shared by Opposition leader Blaine Higgs.

"It's part of us," Erb said. "I figured I'd be sad."

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The bridge was slated to be deconstructed earlier this month, after the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure announced it would place a modular bridge in its place.

Workers have already startedto take the 104-year-old covered bridge apart.

On Thursday, blue sky peekedthroughabsent wallboards and even thesign telling visitors about the bridge was removed.

Ironically, the weight restriction sign, which was ignored by a government contractor who crashedhis overweight excavator through the bridge's decking last October, remained.

The government abandoned plans to repair the bridge in July, after wood rot was discovered. The provinceplans to replace the bridge by January 2018.

Erb said she still hasn't been down the road to see the deconstruction in process.

While she's relieved to know the route will be reopened, she would have liked the province to try Dan Tingley's plan. The senior design engineer previously offered to save the bridge, at a fraction of the cost and time to replace it.

"We did hear the [fellow]talk up at our meeting, that he said he could do it quickly and it was just sort of pushed to the side," she said.

Another offer to save bridge

Minister ofTransportation and Infrastructure, Bill Frasersaid at the time that he was going to go with the recommendations of his department's engineers. Fraseralso wasn't pleased with Tingley's method of addressing the issue with the media.

But Tingley's company has once again offered to save the bridge.

This time, Timber Restoration Services sent an email to Higgs, whowants the government to give Tingley a shot.

"It just makes no sense to me that we wouldn't explore every avenue to protect a heritage structure like this," said Higgs.

Higgs visited the bridge on Wednesday and said the structural supports appeared to still be intact. He wants the governmentto halt the tear-down.

That community would be left without a structure for an extended period of time. It's time we get that transportation link replaced.-Bill Fraser

"This project could be a game-changer in how we address covered bridges around this province," Higgs said, calling Fraser shortsighted for ignoring the pitch.

Higgs suggested if there were concerns about Tingley's credentials, the province could require him to place a bond ensuring the contracted work would be done right.

But Fraser said that isn't the way the province does business.

"We have a procurement process that we have to go through for something that significant," he said.

He also noted thatif the province went down that route, there's no guarantee Tingley would be awarded the contract.

Fraser noted that Higgs already knew how theprocess works.

"I recognize how difficult it is to lose a covered bridge," Fraser said, adding that he'll rely on his department's judgment,along with third-party analysis from an outside engineering firm.

"That community would be left without a structure for an extended period of time," he said. "It's time we get that transportation link replaced."