The structure of the Confederation Bridge is finished. It connects Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick on the mainland. Eight miles long, it is the world’s longest bridge over icy waters.
When Prince Edward Island became a province of Canada, in 1873, the terms of the union, enshrined in the constitution, included year-round ferry service to guarantee trade and communication. But a winter voyage across the Northumberland Strait routinely involved getting stuck in the ice, often leading to casualties. Bridges, tunnels, and causeways were regularly proposed, with varying degrees of credibility. Technological advances finally made a permanent link possible. A 1992 plebiscite on Prince Edward Island and a 1993 constitutional amendment permitted a privately financed bridge to replace the ferry.
Construction began in late 1993. The design consisted of sixty-five piers in water often more than a hundred feet deep. The piers support a series of prestressed-concrete box frames, designed to resist a hundred years of high winds, strong currents, and the continual crush and release of ice floes. The bridge is essentially 176 different pieces organized into three parts: the west approach bridge, east approach bridge, and navigation span. Sections for the east and west spans were built in New Brunswick, while the central navigation span was constructed on Prince Edward Island.
A massive catamaran, designed specifically to build bridges, was brought over from Denmark to move the pieces into place. The same elements the bridge has to withstand—changing ice conditions, high winds, and unpredictable currents—complicated the building process but were successfully overcome.
The final concrete box was put into place on November 19, 1996, marking the completion of the bridge’s structure. It opened to traffic the following May 31, and Prince Edward Island saw an immediate increase in visitors.—ZR