Hartland Covered Bridge featured on Google Doodle

One of the world's leading search engines has honored the longest covered bridge in the world on a special milestone.

Google created a Google Doodle yesterday of the Hartland Covered Bridge in Hartland, New Brunswick.

At 1,282 feet (391 metres), the historic structure spanning the Saint John River at Hartland is the world's longest covered bridge.

Today marked the 111th anniversary of the original opening of the bridge.

The bridge at Hartland was built around the turn of the twentieth century at a cost of $33,000 in those days. Private shareholders funded the bridge's construction because the provincial government at the time refused to build the bridge. Hartland townspeople stressed the importance of the bridge to local farmers and transportation. 


The bridge was opened on July 4, 1901, in a ceremonial fashion. A large celebration was held in Hartland's downtown core. 

The Hartland Bridge as it looked on its opening day on July 4, 1901

 Originally uncovered, the bridge was funded by tolls for five years. A toll house stood on the Hartland end of the structure. The tolls were lifted in 1906 when the New Brunswick government purchased the bridge. 


In the spring freshet of 1920, two spans on the Somerville side were lost. Over a two-year period, the spans were replaced and the bridge was covered. The wooden piers were also replaced with reinforced concrete ones. 

Bridges were covered to preserve the wood and protect it from the elements. Covered structures are said to last up to eighty years, compared to the twenty-year lifespan of uncovered structures.

In 1945, the pedestrian walkway was added to the bridge (pictured above). It is a small covered bridge in itself.

In 1960, the Hugh John Fleming Bridge was opened to traffic, keeping with the new Trans-Canada Highway of the day. There was talk of demolishing the covered bridge, but it remained open as a tourist attraction.

In 1966, vandals attempted to burn the bridge, but were unsuccessful. Another unsuccessful attempt to burn the bridge was made in the early 2000s, but was detected by Department of Transportation employee Vince Wortman. Wortman was commended at the New Brunswick Legislature by then-Minister of Transportation Percy Mockler.

In 1980, the Hartland Covered Bridge was declared a National Historic Site. A ceremony was held at the park at the Somerville end of the bridge, and then-New Brunswick Premier Richard Hatfield (also a Hartland native) attended the ceremony. The bridge was declared a Provincial Historic Site in 1999.

In the fall of 1982, a car struck the side of the bridge near the Somerville end, causing the bridge to sag as a result of damage to a steel beam.

Damage to the car totaled $400, while the bridge suffered $140,000 in damage. The bridge was opened again in February of 1983.

In 1995, Canada Post unveiled a commemorative stamp of the Hartland bridge.

In 2001, the Town of Hartland celebrated the centennial of the Hartland Covered Bridge. Then-New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord cut the ribbon to open the bridge for the next century, and the first crossing was reenacted by Drs. Stocek and Ghanem (in May of 1901, the bridge was not yet complete, but a Dr. Estey asked to cross the bridge to see a patient on the Somerville side of the river, and planks were put down in a hurry to allow for Dr. Estey's crossing).

In 2007, a central beam had split down the middle, and the bridge was closed for several months in the winter to allow for repairs to be carried out. It was closed again a few times afterwards for upgrades.

Craig Melanson, the mayor of Hartland, told CJ 104 radio yesterday that a member of the media called him at 6 am yesterday morning to inform him of the recognition by Google. Melanson was caught by surprise.

"When you get a call first thing in the morning like that, you approach it with trepidation," Melanson told CJ 104. "Once I found out what the story was all about, it was pretty golden."

Melanson added that Google's featuring of the iconic landmark may mean an increase in tourists visiting the town, resulting in economic benefits.

"People are going to say 'Where is this?' and when you hear something like this type of an interest story, you may like to visit. You may think this is something you've been putting off, and you may want to go see what they (Google) are talking about," Melanson said. "I think it will bring tourists and give the local business community a chance to benefit from it."

The Hartland Covered Bridge is one of only 61 structures of its type remaining in New Brunswick.