T'Railway provincial park cut in half after bridge closure

The T'Railway provincial park has been effectively cut in half, after a central bridge on the trail was condemned and closed last December.

The park encompasses more than 800 kilometers of recreational trail, connecting the island from coast to coast.

When an engineering report found the Terra Nova bridge, located in the Town of Terra Nova, was in a state of disrepair, the provincial government shut it down, making it impossible for ATV-users, snowmobilers or pedestrians to make their way across the island.

"You can't get from east to west or west to east," said Jamie Warren, president of the Newfoundland T'Railway board of directors.

"I would say it's a major issue in terms of continuity."

Warren said with the bridge closure, it's now hard to market the trail as a tourist destination to snowmobile tours.

He said it's also an issue for people who own cabins on opposite sides of the bridge and can't access their properties.

Bridge will cost millions to replace

Repairing the bridge will cost roughly half a million dollars and replacing it outright will cost millions. However, Warren said the T'Railway council would prefer to replace the bridge so that it would have a longer lifespan.

Perry Trimper, provincial minister of environment and conservation, said he's not quite sure how the government will find the money in the current financial crunch.

"We've got a serious financial problem right now but that's it. We also know this is an important facility," he said.

"We estimate there's about 100 crossings a day on that bridge. It's a very important aspect of life, not just in the Terra Nova area but across the island."

While he is not saying how the province may respond to the issue yet, Trimper is urging the public to stay off the bridge at all times.