<P> The Confederation Bridge (French: Pont de la Confédération) spans the Abegweit Passage of Northumberland Strait . It links Prince Edward Island with mainland New Brunswick, Canada . Before its official naming, Prince Edward Islanders often referred to the bridge as the "Fixed Link". Construction took place from October 1993 to May 1997 and cost C $1.3 billion . The 12.9 - kilometre (8 mi) bridge opened on May 31, 1997 . </P> <P> The bridge is a two - lane toll bridge that carries the Trans - Canada Highway between Borden - Carleton, Prince Edward Island (at Route 1) and Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick (at Route 16). </P> <P> It is a multi-span balanced cantilever bridge with a post-tensioned concrete box girder structure . Most of the curved bridge is 40 metres (131 ft) above water with a 60 m (197 ft) navigation span for ship traffic . The bridge rests on 62 piers, of which the 44 main piers are 250 m (820 ft) apart . The bridge is 11 m (36 ft) wide . </P> <P> The speed limit on the bridge is 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph) but can vary with wind and weather conditions . When travelling at the speed limit, it takes about 12 minutes to cross the bridge . </P>

What type of bridge is the confederation bridge