30 Confederation Bridge Facts: The Longest Bridge In Canada
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The Confederation Bridge acts as a crossing between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
The highest point of the bridge towers at 197 ft (60 m) above sea level. When it comes to the safety of the people traveling through it, it is currently under the jurisdiction of Public Services and Procurement Canada.
All materials, like girders and piers, that were required for the construction of the bridge were built in staging facilities. These facilities were acquired both on the island and the mainland. The engineering aspects of the bridge are fully praise-worthy.
The road surface is such that a minimal amount of water sprays from it during rains. Some walls are 3.2 ft (1 m) which are aimed at blocking ice shields from wind in the piers. These walls allow the ice to break.
Want to know more about the Confederation Bridge? Keep reading the facts below!
Confederation Bridge History
The idea of forming a crossing over the Northumberland Strait in Canada was in the works since the '70s. This was the time when the politicians of Prince Edward Island had just joined the recently-formed Dominion of Canada.
They believed that government services should provide the means to commute from the island to the mainland over the Northumberland Strait crossing. A ferry service was introduced. However, this ferry service was not of much use since ships and ferries would be stuck for days because of ice-covered water.
Let us check what finally led to the construction of the bridge.
Complaints began to arise about the ships and ferries. This paved the way for the Confederation Bridge to be built.
Even though the need for a bridge over the strait crossing was required since the '70s, the support for the Confederation Bridge was passed in 1988.
In earlier days, the government services were afraid that building a bridge would mean that Prince Edward Island would be overpopulated.
The Prince Edward Islanders were in favor of this decision. They believed that the connection between Prince Edward Island and the mainland posed a threat to their ways of living and livelihood.
Moreover, there were not many resources available to the authorities.
After much convincing, the islanders of Prince Edward Island agreed to the creation of the bridge, and construction was backed by 59.5% of the votes.
The Confederation Bridge was built between 1993-1997. During the construction of the bridge, three workers died on the job.
The bridge was opened to the public on May 31, 1997.
Confederation Bridge Design
Did you know that the Confederation Bridge is the longest bridge in the world that passes over ice-covered waters? The design of this bridge was very well thought out.
After the initial delay in getting the approval for its construction, it was time to make the bridge a reality. This task was more daunting than it seemed. The facts below denote how the structure of the bridge was built.
The foundation of the bridge was built on a multi-span, box-girder design.
The rectangular steel frame of the bridge would be supported by piers of concrete, while the main girders made of concrete would hold the roadway.
The design of the bridge included three parts.
The first part would comprise 14 piers and it would be on the west end.
The second part would comprise seven piers and it would be on the east end.
The middle part would be the last part, which would have 44 piers.
Windbreaks were installed along the bridge in the form of 3 ft (0.9 m) barriers made of concrete.
The pathway of the bridge would have 7000 drainage pots along the sides of it.
The bridge was built in a curved shape so that while driving through this lengthy bridge over the strait crossing, drivers would stay alert to avoid accidents.
The Confederation Bridge is the fastest and most convenient way to get from Prince Edward Island to the mainland. It takes only 10 minutes to cross the bridge.
Importance Of Confederation Bridge
The Northumberland Strait was previously a vast stretch of ice-covered water that was difficult to cross, even on ferries and ships. The Confederation Bridge plays an important role in connecting Prince Edward Island to the mainland over this strait.
It also stands out from other bridges in terms of its structure. Here are a few facts about why the Confederation Bridge is significant.
The bridge stretches over 8 mi (12.9 km), making it the longest bridge in the world that spans over water covered with ice.
It connects Borden-Carleton of Prince Edward Island to Cape Jourimain in New Brunswick.
Around $1 billion was spent to build this bridge.
The bridge is predicted to last for about a century, starting from the time it was built. This is twice the average longevity of such a bridge.
A 7187400 sq ft (667731 sq m) farm was built in Borden on Prince Edward Island. It was on this farm that the piers and concrete girders were made.
After the construction of the bridge, Prince Edward Island had a million visitors in a year, for the first time.
The island saw a spending hike of 63%.
Confederation Bridge's annual toll revenue is between $25-30 million. The consortium got a $2.6 million year-end dividend in 2003 after expenses were deducted.
Approximately 1.5 million automobiles cross the bridge every year.
Debate About Confederation Bridge
Even though the construction of the Confederation Bridge was much-needed since the 19th century, this move faced a lot of debate. Controversies arose when the idea of building a permanent link between Borden and New Brunswick was brought up. Here are a few facts about the debate about the building of the bridge.
The initial idea was to build an underground railway tunnel to cross the strait. However, this idea did not bode well.
The project was canceled in 1969 owing to a lack of funds by Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who was Prime Minister at the time.
In 1988, Joe Ghiz, who was the Premier of Prince Edward Island at that time, left the decision to build a bridge upon the shoulders of the people of the island.
A union was formed, which was called the 'Friends Of The Island.' This union included environmentalists, fishers, and ferry workers who risked losing their livelihood.
Ultimately, the islanders were convinced about this construction, and the bridge received a favorable vote on January 18, 1988.
The federal government assured people that it would provide services of ferries throughout the year.
The construction of the bridge was initiated by the federal government.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English
Rajnandini RoychoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English
With a Master of Arts in English, Rajnandini has pursued her passion for the arts and has become an experienced content writer. She has worked with companies such as Writer's Zone and has had her writing skills recognized by publications such as The Telegraph. Rajnandini is also trilingual and enjoys various hobbies such as music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading classic British literature.
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