Iconic N.B. covered bridge will be blocked to traffic during total solar eclipse

Traffic will be blocked from crossing the world’s longest covered bridge in New Brunswick on Monday afternoon as a total solar eclipse passes overhead.

Traffic will be blocked from crossing the world’s longest covered bridge in New Brunswick on Monday afternoon as a total solar eclipse passes overhead.

The Hartland Covered Bridge will be closed to vehicles between noon and 6 p.m.

“It’s just to control traffic and to avoid any mishaps with people who aren’t familiar with the protocols of getting on or off the bridge,” says Rob Webber, Hartland’s chief administrative officer.

Before vehicles can proceed on the 391-metre span, drivers must wait on each side of the bridge for traffic to clear before proceeding.

“The easiest way to prevent any issues is to simply just close the bridge, so it doesn’t create any issues with a bottleneck downtown,” says Webber.

Vehicles will be redirected to the nearby Hugh John Flemming Bridge to cross the Saint John River.

“For us, it’s an all hands on deck kind of day,” says Webber. “Our staff will be used for traffic control and placed around areas where there will be designated parking, and on streets to direct traffic.”