Beech Fork Covered Bridge Washington County, KY

The Beech Fork Covered Bridge (WGN 17-115-01) is in the process of being evaluated for renovation. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will be looking for proposals for the project in the near future. Funding will be provided through the Federal Historic Covered Bridge Program.

The restoration team will consist of a qualified bridge contractor for covered timber bridges and a qualified bridge designer specializing in structural design for spans under 500 feet.

The Beech Fork covered bridge, also known as the Mount Zion Covered Bridge, is located in Washington County which is southeast of Louisville, Kentucky. The bridge is a 211 foot span consisting of two sections. The truss uses a Burr arch design. Originally built in 1865, it was replaced by a new bridge in 1977. The last rehabilitation was done in 1982. This historic bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Newfield, New York - The Newfield covered bridge will be closed for repairs until October 30th, 2015. According to the Tompkins County Highway Division the bridge work will include abutment stem wall replacement, drainage improvements, and fire suppression.

The Newfield bridge was built between 1851 and 1853. The span is 115 feet long and crosses the West branch of the Cayuga Inlet. During its lifetime, the bridge has undergone two renovations. The town of Newfield is located southwest of Ithica, NY.

The following web link cover the story:
Newfield covered bridge closed for repair

Newfield Covered Bridge Information from the Newfield Historical Society

[Our thanks to Tom Keating for providing this update - Ed]

Chester County, Pennsylvania - The Knox covered bridge, located in the Valley Forge National Historical Park, was struck and damaged by an unknow vehicle. There was significant damage to a stone wall as well to the siding of the bridge. The incident occured on the afternoon of July 6th. At this point no one involved in the hit and run accident has been identified. Valley Forge Park Rangers are investigating.

Officials say that repairs to the bridge will begin in September. The Knox bridge along with the Rapps Dam bridge and the Speakman bridge are currently scheduled for repairs. Due to this recent event the scheduled work on the Knox bridge has been moved up in time. The repair work is projected to be completed by the end of the year. Due to the damage the bridge is closed to traffic until repairs are completed. Officials are suggesting local resident to take a an alternate route.

The bridge, built in 1865, has gone through two previous rehabilitations in 1996 and 2006 and is still in use today. PennDOT estimates that the bridge carries an average of 2000 vehicles per day over the Valley Creek on Yellow Springs Road. The bridge is approximately 50 feet long and is constructed using a Burr Arch with steel stringer support.

The following web links cover the full story:

Covered bridge struck in Chester Co.; driver sought

Covered Bridge Struck By Car Closed Until End Of Year

Update: Historic covered bridge damaged in hit-run to be repaired

Repairs to historic covered bridge in Valley Forge National Historical Park could begin in September

PennDOT plans to begin construction on Knox Covered Bridge by September

Historic Chesco covered bridge damaged by vehicle

Video Update: Surveying The Damage At Knox Bridge

[Our thanks to Tom Keating and Sandy Adrion for providing this update - Ed]

April 7, 2015 Bend, Oregon - The privately owned covered bridge which is maintained by residents of the Rock O' the Range neighborhood was severly damaged on April 6th. The damage was extensive and will require the local residents to raise the funds for repairs. This is the third time in the last 10 years that the bridge has been damaged. Previous repairs have cost from $15,000 to $25,000.

The local sheriff's department has been investigating the damage but so far there are no leads to the person responsible for the damage.

The single lane bridge was built in 1963 with a 7 1/2 foot clearance. The Covered Bridge Society of Oregon recognizes this bridge as the only wooden coverd bridge east of the Cascades.

The following web link from The Bulletin contains the full story:
Covered bridge north of Bend ruined by driver

[Our thanks to Tom Keating for providing this update - Ed]

Guilford, VT October 15, 2014 - The Green River covered bridge has reopened after repairs have been completed to the wing walls and abutments. Thanks to good weather and hard work by the contractor, the project was completed twelve days ahead of schedule at a final cost of $289,000.

The project, which began in July, was orignally started to repair the wing walls. A contract of $153,500 was given to Welch Masonary & Zaluzny Excavating for the work. Once the work was started there were problems discovered with the abutments. The additional work required to repair the abutments added $135,500 to the cost of the project and extended the opening date to October 22. Most of the money for the wing wall repairs came from grants. The funds for the abutment work came from the town.

In spite of the good news of the bridge reopening, there are still concerns about the bridge. The weight limit for the bridge has been lowered from 8 tons to 4 tons which will limit the traffic that can use the bridge. The lower weight limit will remain in place until the deck replacement can be funded. Emergency vehicles will be able to use the bridge according to Vermont law.

The selectboard is persuing future options for the bridge. The engineering firm of Hoyle, Tanner & Associates presented the selectboard with possible options for the bridge. The options range from continuing with maintenance to load limit upgrades. The price tag for those options range from $315,000 to $2.5 million. Another option presented was a bypass route which would cost $1.7 million.

The selectboard will spend some time considering the options along with gathering input from the public.

The Green River bridge on Jacksonville Stage Road was built in 1870 to cross the Green River by Marcus Worden. The 104 foot span was built using a plank-lattice truss.

The following web link from the Brattleboro Reformer contains the full story:
Guilford bridge reopens, but some decisions remain

September 16, 2014 Windham, ME - Police are investigating recent vandalism at Babb's coverd bridge. According to reports, holes have been cut in the roof to allow people to jump off the roof into the Presumpscott River below. Given the bridges history of vandalism, the fear is that someday the integrity of the structure could be compromised.

Babb's Covered Bridge (19-03-01) is located on Covered Bridge Road and crosses the Presumpscott River. The bridge is 79 feet long and uses a Queenpost truss. The bridge was first built in 1843. It was destroyed by fire in and 1973 and was rebuilt in 1976.

The following web link from the Bangor Daily News contain the full story:
Vandals cut holes in roof of landmark covered bridge in Windham

September 9, 2014 Thurmomt, MD - A large truck apparently drove through the bridge this morning and damaged a roof brace forcing the closure of the bridge according to superintendent of Highway Operations Bill Routzahn. The damage was assessed and repairs were made that morning. The bridge was reopened by early afternoon.

Loy's Station Covered Bridge (MD-10-03 #2) is located on Old Frederick Road and crosses the Owens Creek. The bridge is 90 feet long and uses a multiple Kingpost truss. The current bridge at this location was built in 1994. The original bridge was built in 1848 was destroyed in 1991 by arson. For information on this historic bridge and its ties to the Civil War visit the Maryland Covered Bridges website:
Loy's Station Covered Bridge.

The following web link from the myfoxdc.com contains the full story:
Covered bridge in Thurmont reopens after repairs

The Frederick News Post web link also covers the story:
Loy's Station covered bridge damaged, repaired

August 13, 2014 Lyndonville, VT - According to various sources, the Miller's Run covered bridge was damaged by a tractor-trailer that exceeeded the height limit on Wednesday morning. The vertical clearance of the bridge is listed at 10.5 feet on the bridgehunter.com website. At this time there is no further information on the damage. The Vermont Agency of Transportation website has no information concerning the bridge status.

The Newport Dispatch and WPTZ-TV report that the driver drove through the bridge and did not stop after damaging the bridge. Mario Baulanger, of St. Norbert, Quebec, was eventually found and cited by police for leaving the scene of an accident. Baulanger is scheduled to appear in court on September 29, 2014 according to the WPTZ-TV report.

The Miller's Run Bridge (45-03-06), located on Center Street in Lyndonville, crosses Miller's Run. The 53 foot bridge was updated in 1995 due to storm damage and uses the original Queenpost truss placed on steel beams. A pedestrian walkway was added at that time as well. The bridge, also known as Bradley Covered Bridge, was originally built in 1878. According to the Lyndon Area Chamber of Commerce website, the bridge is the last covered bridge in use in the State Highway system.

The following web links contain the full story:

The Newport Dispatch
Miller's Run covered bridge in Lyndonville damaged by tractor-trailer

WPTZ-TV
Tractor-trailer causes damage to covered bridge

July 27, 2014 South Whitehall Township, PA - The Wehr Mill Covered Bridge is closed indefinitely due to an overweight truck attempting to cross the bridge. The truck's weight is being reported to be 4 times the 10 ton weight limit of the bridge.

The driver and the company owning the fuel tanker truck were not identified. Police are investigating the incident and trying to understand why a detour was not used by the driver.

Although there was no obvious damage the bridge will remain closed pending an inspection by county officials.

The Wehr Mill Bridge (38-39-02), located on Wehr's Mill Road in Lehigh county, crosses the Jordan Creek. The 117 foot bridge was built by in 1841 using a Burr truss and consists of three spans. The bridge was restored in 1965 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The following web link from The Morning Call contains the full story:
Overweight truck forces closure of Wehr Mill Covered Bridge .

May 1, 2014 East Pikeland, PA - Two days after being damaged by a tractor-trailer, the Rapps Dam Covered Bridge is being threatened again. The French Creek was causing damage to the bridge after 6 inches of rain fell in the area.

The bridge had been structurally secured following Tuesday's accident. On site reports say that the bridge's frame "seems more bowed than it was on Tuesday...".

The following web link contains the full story from the Mercury News website:
Rapps Dam Covered Bridge sustains storm damage; PennDOT assessing.

May 1, 2014 East Pikeland, PA - On Tuesday a 13 foot high truck passed through the Rapps Dam bridge's 10 foot high opening causing major damage to the bridge. Pieces of the bridge, including the dedication plaque, were stuck in the tractor-trailer among the potted plants it was carrying. The truck driver, on his way to make a delivery in New Jersy, had only been on the job for a short time.

At this point the bridge is closed pending damage assessment. Town Manager Kimberly Moretti described the bridge as being "...broken...as matchsticks" and calls damage "heartbreaking".

Rapps Bridge (38-15-14) was built in 1866 and crosses French Creek. The bridge went through a reconstruction in 1978. In 2011 the state spent $1.5 million to upgrade the bridge. See the article written in our Past News Notes from 2011 which covered the opening of the bridge on November 18, 2011.

The following web link contains the full story from the Philadelphia Inquirer website:
Tractor-trailer smashes historic Chesco covered bridge.

April 28, 2014 Dayton, Ohio - There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Richard P. Eastman Hyde Road Covered Bridge at 10:00AM on May 9th, 2014. The bridge is located on Hyde Road in Yellow Springs and will cross over the Little Miami Bike Path.

The bridge is being named after Richard Eastman who was the Greene County engineer from the 1970's through the 1990's. Accoding to Robert Geyer, the current Greene County engineer, Mr. Eastman "...loved covered bridges...".

The Hyde Road bridge was designed by Smolen Engineering using a Howe truss. The bridge was built by Zachrich Construction and is 77 feet long and cost $480,000 to complete.

The following web link contains the full story from the Dayton Daily News website:
New covered bridge to open May 9.

April 24, 2014 Nevada County, California - Funding for the renovation of the Bridgeport Covered Bridge has been approved by the Nevada county Assembly Budget Subcommittee by a unanimous vote. The Subcommitte approved $1 million for the full restoration of the bridge in the coming fiscal year. Final approval will be secured pending the govenors budget approval.

Phase 1, which involves the bridge stabilization work, is currently funded and will be taking place this year.

Members of the South Yuba River Park Association (SYRPA) have been instrumental in bringing this issue to the attention of the legislators in California.

The Bridgeport Bridge (05-29-01) has been closed since 2011 and is one of the few remaining covered bridges in California. See our article in this section from January 19, 2014 for more bridge details.

The following web link contains the full story from the South Yuba River Park Association website:
Assembly Budget Subcommittee Supports Full Funding To Restore Bridgeport Covered Bridge.

April 17, 2014 New Brunswick, Canada - After spanning the Canaan River for over 80 years, the Cherryvale covered bridge was washed away by the same river during heavy flooding in the area. Dramatic video shows the bridge floating down the river until it became stuck under another bridge.

Local residents are greiving the loss of the historical land mark. Due to the loss of the bridge it will also be more difficult for people to go from their homes into town since there are not many roads from that side of the river to route 112.

The Cherryvale Bridge (55-09-02), was located on Cherryvale Road near Canaan Forks, and crossed the Canaan River. The bridge was built by in 1927 using a Howe truss. The bridge, also know as the Aaron Clark or Canaan River #1, was 178 feet long.

The following web link contains the full story and dramatic video from CBC News New Brunswick:
Cherryvale covered bridge swept away by flood waters.

April 9, 2014 Stonelick TWP, OH - There is disagreement over the cause of the recent collapse of the Stonelick covered bridge. An engineer who was brought in to assess the cause of the collapse attibutes it to truss height differences and lateral bracing issues. An official with the company performing the work disagrees with the findings. The are no legal actions being considered against the construction company.

The renovations are being done by Righter Co. of Columbus, Ohio. John Smolen of Smolen Engineering was contracted by Clermont county to assess the cause of the collapse.

The Stonelick Bridge (38-13-02), located on Stonelick Williams Road, crosses the Stonelick Creek. The bridge was built by in 1878 using a Howe lattice truss. In 2010 the bridge was closed following being damaged by a truck. The current renovation project is estimated to cost $850,000.

The following web link contains the full story from the Cincinnati.com:
Dispute over Stonelick covered bridge collapse.

April 6, 2014 - There are 5 covered bridges closed in the Abitibi area. Some, leading to a dead end, are not scheduled to be repaired or reopened in a near future. One is threatened to be demolish (The Arche-de-Noe Bridge, 61-01-26). Roof is leaking at the des Souvenirs Bridge (61-02-33) doing damage to the upper cord.

The Levasseur Bridge (61-02-37) is one of them. Located on a paved range, the bridge was in service till closed in 2011. This is not a dead end.

People from Authier-Nord are launching a petition asking for the reopening of the bridge.

Please print the form, grab few names and mail it to Mr. Bergeron. The address is seen at the bottom of the form (no email address available).

Letters, comments, story about a trip in Abitibi to visit bridges are welcome.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
Gerald Arbour

It says: Asking for repairs to the Levasseur Bridge, Authier-Nord, closed by DOT in August 2011. Our covered bridge, built in 1928, is part of our history.

M. Arbour requests our assistance in asking the local authorities to repair and reopen this historic CB. If you choose to print and sign a petition (some may want to circulate one at a meeting of your society), the postage for a first-class letter, up to 2 ounces, to Canada is $1.15. The address shown at the bottom (you would not use "Retourner à") should have as the bottom line (below the postal code line) "CANADA".

Jim

April 5, 2014 Waterford, PA - The Waterford covered bridge has been assessed and has been found to be in need of repairs. As the title says, the bridge is in serious but stable condition. The bridge is currently closed. Repairs are currently scheduled to begin in 2015.

Federal, state, township officials and engineers recently evaluated the bridge and have proposed changes to the deck and superstructure. They are also recommending overhead bars to protect the low clearance approaches. Security lighting and cameras are also being suggested. All these suggestions will be evaluated by Pennsylvania DOT and Pensylvania Museum and Historical Commission.

The Waterford Bridge (38-25-04), also known as the Brotherton covered bridge, is located on Niemeyer Road and crosses the LeBoeuf Creek. The bridge is 77 feet long and was built by Charles and James Phelps in 1875 using a Town lattice truss. There are only 2 covered bridges remaining in Erie county.

The following web link contains the full story from the Erie Times News:
Waterford Covered Bridge diagnosed as serious but stable.

April 2, 2014 - The history of the Knights Ferry covered bridge spans a period of 150 years. The bridge and the surrounding area are a part of the fabric of the California gold rush. This story includes a number of details of the history of the town of Knights Ferry and its early transportation over the Stanislaus River.

The Knights Ferry bridge (05-50-01), located in Stanislaus county, is reported to be the longest covered bridges in the state of California and possibly the longest west of the Mississippi River. The bridge, which replaced an earlier bridge that was destroyed by a flood, was built in 1863 to cross the Stanislaus River.

Flood waters threatened to destroy the bridge in 1955 but it survived the event. The historic bridge, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012, is 330 feet in length and employs a Howe truss. These days the bridge is only open for foot traffic. There are only 10 covered bridges remaining in the state of California.

The following web link contains the full story from the Twain Harte News of Twain Harte, California:
Discover Knights Ferry: The History of California's Longest Covered Bridge.

January 19, 2014, Nevada County, California - The Bridgeport covered bridge is in trouble. Time is taking its toll on the 152 year old bridge. Structurally the bridges timbers of the wooden arches are warping and separating. The cast-iron tension rods have stretched and are ineffective. The bridge has been closed since 2011. Estimates for full restoration are in the $1.1 million range.

California's state park systems financial and management troubles are making the repairs more complicated. The Bridgeport covered bridge is a part of that system being located within the South Yuba River State Park.

Local groups such as the South Yuba River Park Association and the South Yuba River Citizens League concerned about the bridge. Recently resolutions from the local Board of Supervisors and city councils urging the state for bridge repairs have passed. State park officials have agreed to spend $220,000 to stabilize the bridge. The time line of work has yet to be established.

The Bridgeport covered bridge (05-29-01) is located within the South Yuba State Park and crosses the South Fork of the Yuba River. The bridge was built in 1862 by David I. Wood and served the gold and silver mines in the area during the Gold Rush era.

The Bridgeport, or "Wood's Crossing" bridge, is the longest single span covered bridge in existence. The bridge is 230 feet long and is constructed using a Burr arch and Howe truss. A very popular tourist attraction, the covered bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

The following web link contains the full coverage from The Sacremento Bee covering the story of the Bridgeport Covered Bridge:
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/01/19/6083504/nevada-countys-bridgeport-covered.html.

February 14, 2014, Stonelick Township, Ohio - The Stonelick covered bridge has collapsed during the deconstruction phase of a major renovation project. When the bridge collapsed, on Tuesday February 12th, there were four people working on the bridge. Stonelick Township Fire Chief Matt Rose says that "it was a miracle" that no one was injured in the incident.

A local resident living near the bridge reported hearing a loud crash that lasted seconds. With that crash the last covered bridge in Clermont county is history. Local neighbors had joined together to have the bridge restored following damage caused by a truck in 2010.

The Stonelick bridge (35-13-02), located on Stonelick Willams Corner Road, was built in 1878 to cross the Stonelick Creek. The bridge, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, was 140 feet in length and employed a Howe truss.

The following web link contains the full coverage from WKRC Cincinnati covering the collapse of the Stonelick Covered Bridge:
http://www.local12.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/historic-covered-bridge-collapses-8257.shtml.

Also, here is the link to a YouTube video of the local television coverage of the bridge collapse:
Historic covered bridge collapses.

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