Skip to main content

Hardscrabble Covered Bridge - St. Martin's, New Brunswick

Image
By

 


One of two covered bridges to cross Vaughan Creek (also known as the Irish River) in St. Martins, New Brunswick, the Hardscrabble Covered Bridge holds a few distinctions. It is one of a handful of covered bridges within the Province of New Brunswick that has an attached covered walkway. It is also one of two covered bridges in the province where you can see another covered bridge from the bridge. The other covered bridge happens to be the Vaughan Creek Covered Bridge (which was being reconstructed when I visited in early May 2022). This gives the Hardscrabble Covered Bridge and St. Martins another interesting landmark among the interesting things you can see in the area, such as the Fundy Trail Parkway, Bay of Fundy, the Sea Caves and Quaco Head Lighthouse.

Alternatively known as Irish River #2 Covered Bridge, the Hardscrabble Covered Bridge was built in 1946 with a Howe Truss covered bridge design. Spanning 78 feet (or 24 meters) across Vaughan Creek on Main Street, the sidewalk portion of the bridge was added in 1986, allowing for people to safely view the nearby surroundings and the nearby Vaughan Creek Covered Bridge. The Hardscrabble Covered Bridge is one of three covered bridges in the St. Martins area, along with the aforementioned Vaughan Creek Covered Bridge as well as the Tynemouth Creek Covered Bridge. Since the bridge is fairly close to the Bay of Fundy, the high tides do have some effect on the bridge, but likely not much of an effect in normal conditions. Still, the Hardscrabble Covered Bridge is not to be missed if your travels take you to St. Martins, plus there is ample parking near the western portal of the bridge.

Vaughan Creek and construction to the new Vaughan Creek Covered Bridge just to the south of the Hardscrabble Covered Bridge.

The bridge sits at the village limits of St. Martins.

Inside the covered bridge.

The north side of the bridge has some ivy hanging on the siding.

Bridge plaque.

Western portal of the covered bridge, complete with a separated sidewalk.

Side angle of the south side of the Hardscrabble Covered Bridge.


How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
Tourism New Brunswick - Hardscrabble No. 2 Covered Bridge (Irish River No. 2)
New Brunswick Canada - Transportation and Infrastructure
New Brunswick's Covered Bridges - Irish River No. 2 (Hardscrabble)
DaleJTravis.com - New Brunswick Covered Bridges List
Charles E. Frees-Melvin - Irish River # 2 Covered Bridge
Association Heritage New Brunswick - St. Martins Covered Bridges
Labels:
Location: Hardscrabble Covered Bridge, 424 Main St, St. Martins, NB E5R, Canada

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grand Loop Road of Yellowstone National Park

By
  Grand Loop Road is a 140 mile loop highway which traverses the interior of Yellowstone National Park.  Grand Loop Road connects all of the major attractions and geological features of Yellowstone National Park along with the entrance roads.  Grand Loop Road is a seasonal highway and despite some conjecture never has been part of the US Route System.   Part 1; the history of Grand Loop Road The majority of history pertaining to Grand Loop Road was taken from the below National Park Service article: Historic Roads - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) Yellowstone was declared the first National Park of the United States on March 1st, 1872.  The first real highway to access Yellowstone National Park came in 1873 when a tolled facility was constructed from Bozeman, Montana via Yankee Jim Canyon to Mammoth Hot Springs.  Numerous attempts were made to fund construction of roadway infrastructure during the early years of Yellows...
Post a Comment
Read more

The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

By
Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign.  These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare.  This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade.  We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others?  Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers.  The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California.  Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...
Post a Comment
Read more

California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway

By
From 2017 through to early 2019 I drove the majority of the California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway from CA 89 southwest to CA 99. CA 70 is an approximately 178.5 mile state highway which starts at US 395 near the Nevada State Line and travels west through the Feather River Canyon to CA 99.  CA 70 is often referred to as the Feather River Highway" given it's close association with the river.  Historically CA 70 was previously signed as US 40A and CA 24.  The Legislative Routes prior to the 1964 California Highway Renumbering that made up the current route of CA 70 are as follows: -  Legislative Route Number 21 from US 395 westward to Oroville. -  LRN 87 from Oroville south to Marysville. -  LRN 232 from Marysville to the current junction with CA 99.  CA 70 was even dual signed with CA 99 into Sacramento on what was LRN 232 for a time. The change from US 40A/LRN 21/LRN 87/LRN 232 can be seen by comparing the 1963 State Highway Ma...
Post a Comment
Read more