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[ghYHZ]

It’s been 15 years since the Confederation Bridge opened in 1997 and last weekend I set out to find what’s left of the old pre-bridge infrastructure.





Approaching the bridge in New Brunswick on TCH16 you encounter this structure at NB955. It’s not from the 1990s bridge construction but from an earlier start on a fixed link to Prince Edward Island……a road and rail causeway. This structure was built in the 1960’s over a graded alignment which lay unused for nearly 30 years until activated as the approach to the new Confederation Bridge in 1997.





Parallel to this road alignment was the Canadian National Railways right-of-way that would also have crossed the proposed causeway in 1968 to link-up with the railway on PEI. At that time trains were also being carried on the ferries along with vehicles. The railway has been abandoned on PEI since 1989.





Now let’s head over to PEI and just east of Borden on PEI-10 there’s another 1960’s era structure. It crosses over an old alignment that was also to have been an approach to the proposed causeway in 1968.






But when the Confederation Bridge was built the new TCH alignment was kept closer to town, passing near the new Gateway Village and Welcome Centre. This was thought to give the town a bit of an economic boost after the loss of the many ferry service jobs.






Here’s the old ferry traffic marshalling lanes at Borden.

[ghYHZ]

And now back over to the mainland on the bridge






…… to the village of Cape Tormentine, NB……the old ferry terminal.

1)   The all but abandoned TCH16 into town
2)   This was once the main intersection in town with an Irving Gas Bar & Restaurant…… and always busy when a ferry docked.
3)   Entrance to the Ferry Terminal in 1983.   
4)   Same view today…..now the entrance to an RV Park.
5)   Ferry traffic marshalling area.
6)   Old Ferry Docks.

[oscar]

When I checked out Cape Tormentine last August and earlier in 2003, there were still the remnants of a booth, at the entrance to the ferry dock, for travelers to check in.  I also went partway out on the Cape to take bridge photos, but not close enough to the industrial activity of some kind going on at the east end to get chased away (or find out what was going on).

I probably have some photos at home, but right now I'm on Alaska's Arctic coast (when to the beach this morning, found the ocean temps in the high 50s which allowed a quick dip in the ocean).

[Bickendan]

You have net access out there? And where on Alaska's Arctic? If Deadhorse, I thought the public couldn't access it. :s

[mgk920]

You have net access out there? And where on Alaska's Arctic? If Deadhorse, I thought the public couldn't access it. :s

Barrow, AK is directly on the coast.

Mike

[ghYHZ]

How did we get from PEI to Alaska?

Anyway……a little trivia: In late summer, PEI has the some of the warmest beaches north of the Carolinas.

http://www.tourismpei.com/pei-singing-sands-beach

 

[vdeane]

How did we get from PEI to Alaska?

This:

I probably have some photos at home, but right now I'm on Alaska's Arctic coast (when to the beach this morning, found the ocean temps in the high 50s which allowed a quick dip in the ocean).

[ghYHZ]

How did we get from PEI to Alaska?

This:

I probably have some photos at home, but right now I'm on Alaska's Arctic coast (when to the beach this morning, found the ocean temps in the high 50s which allowed a quick dip in the ocean).

Yes, but we’ve been to Barrow & Deadhorse too!

(Sorry deanej if you can’t take it ‘tongue in cheek’.....as intended!)

[Steve]

How did we get from PEI to Alaska?

Anyway……a little trivia: In late summer, PEI has the some of the warmest beaches north of the Carolinas.

http://www.tourismpei.com/pei-singing-sands-beach

 

False advertising. I tried it out in August and it was too cold for swimming.

[ghYHZ]

False advertising. I tried it out in August and it was too cold for swimming.

Funny.....I find 23C or 75F very comfortable for swimming and that’s what you will find along the Northumberland Strait side...... A bit colder along the Gulf (National Park) side.

But don’t try it in late January of February.....you’ll need an ice pick!......and that's why the Confederation Bridge requires Ice Shields around the Piers:





 

[oscar]

You have net access out there? And where on Alaska's Arctic? If Deadhorse, I thought the public couldn't access it. :s

It was Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay, most of which is open to the public.  However, shoreline access requires crossing oil fields normally off-limits to the public, which means hooking up with an oil company-approved tour operator.

I can furnish more details, later and elsewhere, when I do a Dalton Highway trip report.

[yakra]

Great Maritimes pics, as always!
The fact that NB had all that unusued & never-used infrastructure sitting around for decades blows my mind.
Looks like some of the railbed on NB has become a bike trail... PE too?

[mgk920]

Great Maritimes pics, as always!
The fact that NB had all that unusued & never-used infrastructure sitting around for decades blows my mind.
Looks like some of the railbed on NB has become a bike trail... PE too?

Google aerial images and streetview show that many of the abandoned grades in PE are also now public trails.  That was one impressive railroad network there, too!

Mike

[vdeane]

How did we get from PEI to Alaska?

This:

I probably have some photos at home, but right now I'm on Alaska's Arctic coast (when to the beach this morning, found the ocean temps in the high 50s which allowed a quick dip in the ocean).

Yes, but we’ve been to Barrow & Deadhorse too!

(Sorry deanej if you can’t take it ‘tongue in cheek’.....as intended!)

Oh, I thought you were serious...