After 8 decades, Main Gut Bridge near Stephenville Crossing is being demolished

The Main Gut Bridge near Stephenville Crossing generally draws a lot of attention for its iconic look and historic link between the community and the remainder of Newfoundland.

The abandoned bridge once used by the former Newfoundland Railway has spanned Main Gut for more than 80 years but has deteriorated so badly that it needs to be removed.

Now, with the demolitionunderway, the bridge is once again drawingvisitors.

"It's been the main attraction with multiple vehicles going to the scene of the gut to watch the demolition," Mayor Lisa Lucas told CBC News on Friday.

"I'm not surprised at all. That has been a part of our landscape. I was born in the Crossing and left at nine months of age and came back when I was 18. That gut has been such a symbol of everything this area represents."

Part of this 80-year-old bridge in Stephenville Crossing is underwater and will be torn down

8 months ago

Duration 0:37

The Main Gut trestle near Stephenville Crossing has been closed since 2006, when it started deteriorating. Recently, however, part of it fell into the water. Bursary Excavating and Development has begun work to demolish and remove the structure, at a cost of just under $1 million.

A Facebook group dedicated to the bridge has more than 1,500 members, who are sharing photos, stories and memories.

Lucas said the theme dominating the online conversations is sadness.

"To imagine the landscape without it,I don't know. It's very sad, I've got to say. A lot of people are really emotional. I can certainly understand why," she said.

But the bridge had minimal use after the removal of the railway and the installation of anew highway.

Listen to the interview with CBC Newfoundland Morning:

CBC Newfoundland Morning6:21It's been part of the landscape for more than 80 years. But the Main Gut Bridge near Stephenville Crossing will soon be no more

A now-abandoned bridge near Stephenville Crossing has spanned Main Gut for more than 80 years. But it's deteriorated so much that it needs to be removed. That demolition and removal is now underway and attracting spectators.

Lucas said locals would mainly use it for crossing over the water on ATVs.

In mid-2000, she said, people began to realize just how dangerous it had become.

"It hasn't been used in a long time. They actually had to block it off with these huge cement pillars to prevent people from going across it," said Lucas.

"I'm really thankful that the people understand how it had to go because of the amount of corrosion, rust and decay that it has developed through the elements and the salt spray."

Lucas said demolition is progressing, and the company behind the removal is taking care in preventing debris from staying in the ocean.

The towncouncil plansto keep a piece of the structure to install somewhere in the community so the bridge's memory will live on.

There arealso plans to develop a calendar with photos submitted by residents, with proceeds going tocharity.

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