Located in New Brunswick, Canada, the bridge crosses the Saint John River, joining the Carleton County communities of Hartland and Somerville.

In 1896, Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick member Allan Dibblee advocated for its construction, threatening to oppose the government if a grant was not received.

[13] On October 9, 1899, the Hartland Bridge Company submitted construction plans with the Minister of Public Works.

[14] A public notice calling for contractor tenders was issued by The Royal Gazette on October 25, 1899, with a deadline of November 20.

"[19] In March 1901, the Hartland Advertiser reported the bridge was "now completed as far as the actual construction is concerned," with the flooring still to be added before it could open to the public.

[8] On June 12, 1901, The Daily Gleaner reported that construction was nearly finished, with a formal opening planned to be held "sometime during July.

[23] Following its completion and use before the official opening, the bridge generated around $8 to $12 daily in toll revenue, deemed "very satisfactory".

[25] Prominent individuals, including government members, attended the ceremony,[24] which drew "nearly 4,000 people from surrounding villages and the countryside".

Provincial government members present included Premier Lemuel John Tweedie, Stephen Burpee Appleby, Harrison A. McKeown, and Charles H.

[1] The Hartland Bridge utilized a toll system,[27][28] which saw opposition voiced as early as February 1902, during which a petition for its abolition was held.

[30] The provincial government purchased the bridge for $5,461.71 that year,[31] and the toll system was removed on May 1, 1906,[32] following an earlier announcement.

[37][38] In March 1909, a local news item on The Daily Gleaner reported that a contract for supplying materials for re-flooring the bridge had been awarded.

[43] By early January 1920, construction work was underway, and traffic was closed due to an ice bridge.

[44] On April 6, 1920, heavy rainfall caused a freshet as well as ice to damage the west side of the bridge, resulting in two spans collapsing.

Benjamin Franklin Smith, a legislative member representing Carleton, opposed the idea, with The Daily Gleaner summarizing his opinion of it as being "considerable of a menace".