Shepody River

Covered Bridge
of
Harvey

The History on the Harvey Bridge in Albert County New Brunswick

The bridge to Harvey was nearing completion, Dec. 4, 1903 the new Shepody River Bridge did supply a long needed flow of traffic, and it was stronger and better in all aspects than former ones.
Also stated in The Albert Journal, Hillsborough, on Dec. 11, 1903 – Albert The new bridge over the Shepody River at this place was opened for traffic today. The Piers of this Bridge are Stone masoning and the River is spanned with a Hard Pine Howe Truss Spars 182 ft long and is a very substantial Bridge and reflects much credit on Contractor Smye and his foreman C N Dawson

The Harvey Bridge was later moved about 1933 to fit the river changes. Info found and submitted by Bill White of Albert Country.

The Daily Times, Moncton May 31 1933 Move Albert Covered Bride To New Location Albert, A. Co., May 29- The big covered bridge over the Shepody River here measuring 127 feet long and weighing approximately 170 tons, was successfully moved from its old foundation today and set on new concrete and granite piers fifty feet up stream. The whole operation was carried out with a steam winch and a wire cable at each end of the bridge. The structure was moved on greased steel rails placed on wooden stringers, one at each end of the bridge resting on spilling with steel plates under the cords of the bridge to ensure as little friction as possible. Besides being moved up stream the bridge was carried about 10 feet toward the Harvey side of the river. J. Harvey Cunningham of Fredericton supervised the operation.

The Burning of the Harvey Bridge the night this took place was (Sunday Oct 31 1976) Larry Hughes was just about to head back to Moncton, when he saw the fire. It was a rainy night. He and his Dad went down to the lower road, and he took some shots. At that time he was shooting slides, so by the time he got them back it was too late to make the paper., and the only prints he ever gave of this was to Charlie Long the former post master at Albert.