Princess Margaret Bridge

rdf:langString Princess Margaret Bridge

rdf:langString The Princess Margaret Bridge, sometimes called the Princess Margaret Rose Bridge or shortened to just PMB, is a two-lane highway bridge crossing the Saint John River at Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. It is named after Queen Elizabeth II's sister Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. Constructed as a steel truss structure, the bridge measures 1,097 m (3,599 ft) in length and has a navigation clearance of 23 m (75 ft) in the centre. It opened in 1959 as part of the Route 2 Trans-Canada Highway bypass project around Fredericton. Following a realignment of Route 2 in 2001, the bridge now carries Route 8, the primary Fredericton-Miramichi highway. The northern approach follows the old Trans-Canada Highway alignment toward Barker's Point (now designated Route 105), but travellers wanting to continue on Route 8 must exit on a ramp immediately after leaving the bridge, while maintaining another sharp turning radius to pass back under the roadway and follow the Route 8 alignment to Marysville. This interchange is envisioned to be replaced by a straightened alignment of Route 8 onto the Marysville Bypass with a newly designed interchange with Route 105. During the summer of 2010, and again in the summer of 2011, the bridge was closed for extensive repairs to the deck, concrete piers, and steel structure. The province of New Brunswick is investing $80 million for the repairs, which when complete will extend its life for another 50 years.