Miramichi's Centennial Bridge marks 50 years as 'lifeline'

Todaymarks a special dayfor one ofMiramichi'slargest residents.

TheCentennialBridge stretching more than onekilometre across the MiramichiRiverturns 50.

Built as avital link between northern and southern New Brunswick, it's been an equally vitalbridge among communities that now make upthe city of Miramichi.

"It marks my home," said ThelmaWilliston, 89, who watched the bridge as it was built just outside her front door.

"They almost decided to build to where we had just bought our house, but thankfully they decided to move it downjust one more street."

Whenthe Centennial Bridge was opened five decadesago, connecting Douglastown and Chatham and replacing a ferry,it was part of Canada's 100thbirthday celebrations.

This year, the steel bridgegot a fresh coat of paint to ring in its own milestone birthday, part ofa more than $80 million restoration project.

But it's well-worth the cost, according toWilliston, who saidthe racketof the bridge construction stands out the most in hermemory.

"Itwas sonoisy," she said. "Becausethey had to drive that steel piling down into thebottomof the river.So that went on all summer. Nobody got too much sleep because that went on day and night."

William Brennan, a local historian and collector ofMiramichihistory, wakes up to the super-structure outside his windowevery day.

"ToSki-Doo underneath of it in the winter and to boat under it in the summer, and to see this from a distance, it's just the best part of theMiramichito me," he said. "Andit'shome to me as well."

Brennan, whose Miramichihistory collection,includes dozens of postcards of the Centennial Bridge dating back to itsconstruction, calls its contribution to the city "priceless."

"It's a lifeline for this community," Brennansaid. "And we're going to see how much it means when they close this bridge in two years' timeand they re-route the traffic."

Repairs to the bridge are expected to continue forseveral moreyears as the province tries to extend its life span for perhaps another 50 years.

Brennankeeps anoriginal brochure that wasdistributed when the bridgeopened. It listsseveralmeasurements related to the bridge,taken before Canada adoptedthe metric system:

Total length of the bridge: 3,872 feet

Highest point on bridge: above extreme high tide,240 feet

Structural steel: 5,000 tons

Reinforcing steel:1,300,000 pounds

Steel bearing piles: 15 miles

Concrete: 34,000 cubic yards

Cement: 210,000 bags