Saint Leonard – Van Buren Bridge, International road bridge between Saint Leonard, New Brunswick and Van Buren, Maine.
The Saint Leonard-Van Buren Bridge crosses the Saint John River and connects a community in Canada with a town in the United States. The structure has three traffic lanes and border inspection facilities on both ends.
A hand-pulled ferry originally connected the two towns before a bridge was built in 1911. A complete reconstruction in 1972 expanded its capacity to handle growing border traffic.
The crossing links St. Leonard, New Brunswick, and Van Buren, Maine, two towns whose Acadian heritage is heard in the French spoken on the Canadian side. The bridge carries local traffic between them; the international boundary runs across the span itself, marked by the border stations at each end.
Crossing is straightforward for drivers coming from either side. Check border station hours in advance, especially on weekdays and around holidays, to avoid delays.
The first bridge here opened in 1912, designed and built under Elmer E. Greenwood, Maine's principal bridge designer from 1904 to 1916. The present structure dates from 1972, when it replaced that original span. Before the bridge, a hand-pulled ferry crossed the Saint John River.
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