Beaver Dam Bridge

For the bridge in Solebury Township, Pennsylvania, see Van Sant Covered Bridge.

The Beaver Dam Bridge (French: Pont Beaver Dam) was a bridge along the York River in Quebec, Canada. The bridge was situated on Quebec Route 198 and connected the Quebecois municipalities of Murdochville and Gaspé. The bridge collapsed on May 22, 1963, due to flood damage and killed 6 people, all mine workers heading toward Murdochville.^[1][2]

Beaver Dam Bridge Pont Beaver Dam
Coordinates	48°51′55″N 65°05′17″W
Crossed	York River, Quebec
Locale	Gaspe Peninsula
Characteristics
Material	Concrete
No. of lanes	2
History
Collapsed	May 22, 1963
Location

Tragedy

The car of one of the tragedy's victims, Melrose Miller

On May 22, 1963, a pillar of the Beaver Dam Bridge was knocked down and swept away by flood waters early in the morning. Six cars whose drivers were not aware of the pillar collapse plunged into the York River, banging hard on the bridge's concrete in the process, which killed the occupants. A car containing four people that plunged into the river floated 800 meters down the York River before the occupants could escape and warn incoming traffic of the bridge's collapse, preventing further deaths.^[3]