Save damaged New Brunswick covered bridge or replace it?

Quispamsis residents are being asked to help decide the fate of one of New Brunswick's iconic covered bridges which has been out of commission since Oct. 5 when an excavator crashed through the decking.

Arearesidents will be able to attend a meeting Nov. 28to listen to staff, including a bridge engineer, present two options of what could be done to the bridge,Transportation Minister BillFrasersaid.

One of those options is to remove the bridge and replace it with a modular bridge.

"Obviously there's pros and cons to that, one of them being the covered bridge won't be there anymore" said Fraser.

The other option is to repair the covered bridge, which also has its pros and cons.

Public feedback wanted

"One of the cons to that is it is going to take eight to nine months to do it and there's weight restrictions, height restrictionsand some other functionality issues with it," he said.

Fraser said he wants the public to be aware of what both options mean and get feedback.

• Quispamsiscovered bridge has excavator removed
• Province uncertain over covered bridge's future as repairs continue

"I want to get their input on people that live in the area because at the end of the day, it's their community."

The public's feedback will be reviewed and Fraser said a decision on what will happen will be made within a week.

Fraser said he is hoping the the attend the meeting with Hampton MLA Gary Crossman.

The Hammond River No. 2 Bridge was built in 1912 and is one of about 60 covered bridges left in New Brunswick.