William Mitton Bridge

This is another 'retired' bridge, and also another one that is in need of some TLC, as the siding is falling apart in places.  

Different sources give this bridge the sobriquet  "travelling bridge", as it was originally located in Kent County somewhere.  In the Gillis book (No Faster Than A Walk, see "Sources" page), the bridge is reported to have travelled to its new site independently in the spring flooding. Well, I have studied the maps, and I cannot see any possible way this bridge could have made its way from Kent County, unimpeded, via any known watercourse, so I will have to look into this.  There would had to have been biblical-scale flooding in order to float all the way from Kent County to Upper Coverdale - or was it swept out to sea and then came back up the Petitcodiac with the tidal bore!   Whatever it turns out to be, there will be a good story that goes with it in order for the tale to end with the bridge just showing up here in the spring thaw.

In the Archive photo below, you can see the old Coverdale bridge in the background.  The remains of the abutment can still clearly be seen on the bank of the river in 2015.

Used with permission © Provincial Archives of NB

Used with permission © Provincial Archives of NB

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March 11, 2016 - A visit with the tide most of the way out.  You can get an idea from these pictures of how the enormous Bay of Fundy tides affect things far upstream in the Petitcodiac River.