CELPIP Reading Part 3 Practice Test: Confederation Bridge Construction And Impact

Paragraph A

For more than a century, the only way to bring a car to Prince Edward Island was by ferry, a crossing that could be delayed for hours by winter ice or summer lineups. That changed on May 31, 1997, when the Confederation Bridge opened to traffic. Stretching 12.9 kilometres across the Northumberland Strait between Borden-Carleton, P.E.I., and Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick, it is the longest bridge in the world over ice-covered water. The idea of a “fixed link” had been discussed since 1873, when the island joined Confederation and Ottawa promised it continuous communication with the mainland. Islanders were divided on the issue, however, and when a vote was finally held in 1988, just under 60 percent were in favour.

Paragraph B

Construction began in 1993 and took less than four years. To save time and avoid working in the strait’s harsh conditions, most of the bridge was built on land. Massive concrete sections, some weighing about 7,500 tonnes, were cast at a large staging yard near Borden and then carried out to sea by an enormous floating crane, which lowered them into position with remarkable precision. The project was a partnership between government and private industry: a private company designed, financed and built the bridge, and in return receives annual payments from the federal government. Ownership of the bridge is scheduled to pass to Ottawa in 2032.

Paragraph C

The bridge’s greatest engineering challenge was ice. Each winter, thick sheets of ice move through the strait, pushed by wind and tides. To cope with this, engineers fitted the base of every pier with a cone-shaped ice shield. Rather than allowing the ice to press against the pier, the cone forces it to ride upward and break under its own weight. The roadway also curves gently along its length, a design meant to keep drivers alert, and it rises to 60 metres at its central navigation span so that ocean-going ships can pass beneath. Most of the main spans measure 250 metres from pier to pier. The bridge was designed to last at least 100 years.

Paragraph D

The bridge has transformed island life. Tourism rose sharply in its first year, and farmers and fishers gained faster access to mainland markets for their potatoes and lobster. Islanders who once planned their days around ferry schedules could now come and go at any hour. Not every change was welcome. The ferry service between Borden and Cape Tormentine was shut down, eliminating hundreds of jobs, and some islanders worried that such an easy connection would erode the island’s distinct, unhurried character. Today, the crossing takes about twelve minutes, and the toll is collected only when drivers leave the island, which has led to the old joke that getting onto P.E.I. is free, but leaving will cost you.