Wycliffe Bridge Movie

NEW WYCLIFFE BRIDGE OPEN TO TRAFFIC. – Eliminates Sharp Curves at Crossing. – Old Structure in Use For Many Years Is Being Torn Down and Is Thing of Past.

            The new and substantial bridge across the St. Mary’s river at Wycliffe has been thrown open to traffic and is proving a great boon to automobile travel between Cranbrook and Kimberley.  The main span of the new structure has a length of 150 feet, with a span of 90 feet on either end.  The abutments and approaching walls are of concrete, and the best timber and lumber procurable were selected for the bridge proper.  It is 330 feet in length over all.

            Work on this bridge was started last August, and although much of the work was done during the fall and winter, good progress was made throughout the entire time.  There were one or two slight accidents, but taken all in all the work went along with but little serious difficulty.  It is a credit to Colin Campbell, district road superintendent; Arthur Dixon, district engineer, and to F. Hardy, bridge foreman.  The new bridge is about 1,000 feet up the river from the site of the old one, and the steep and dangerous curves are eliminated by the new route.  The old crossing in past years was the scene of many bad accidents on this much traveled piece of highway.

            The tearing down of the old bridge which has served for so many years is about completed, and the timber salvaged will be used for firewood or on some other government project.  Dynamite was used in blowing parts of the structure to pieces.  Fred Nelson, of the Nelson Studio in Cranbrook was at the scene Tuesday while some of it was being done and succeeded in securing some good moving pictures, taken during some of the more thrilling moments of the work of demolition.