This page lists news of covered bridges. Please help us keep this information current and accurate. Any pictures of the bridges described would be greatly appreciated.

Mount Orne Bridge - NH/29-04-08#2 & VT/45-05-03#2

An oversized tractor trailer drove through the Mt. Orne Covered Bridge in Lancaster, NH Wednesday evening, May 26th, causing significant damage to the upper lateral bracing inside the bridge. The bridge has subsequently been closed by the Town of Lancaster on the recommendation of the NHDOT.

Newspaper reports state the truck driver was heading back to his base in California, and was instructed by his dispatcher to take the route over the bridge to Vermont. The truck was empty at the time. The driver, Sergo Niko, of Pacoima, California, was arrested not far from the bridge in Vermont where he had stopped to remove debris from his truck. He was charged with conduct after an accident, failure to display trailer plates, and for the truck being over-height.

The Town of Lancaster, NH owns the bridge. Through their insurance carrier, the New Hampshire Property-Liability Trust, they have hired the consulting engineering firm of Dubois & King, Inc. to evaluate the damage and outline steps to be taken to repair the bridge. “The upper later bracing and some truss chords took some very big hits” says Robert H. Durfee, P.E., Vice President for Dubois & King. “It appears the truck just keep going though the entire bridge, causing damage all along its length” said Durfee. The bridge will remain closed until repairs can be made.

The Mt. Orne Bridge was constructed in 1911 using Howe type trusses. It is a two span structure, with an overall length of 266 feet. It spans the Connecticut River and connects New Hampshire with Vermont.

[News from Robert Durfee, NSPCB Member, June 2, 2010; Photo by Bill Caswell, May 29, 2010]

new covered bridge - OH/35-32-21

A new covered bridge on Twp. Rd. 241 over the Blanchard River east of Findlay, is now complete and open for traffic. The new covered bridge is a great addition to the scenery around Riverbend and along the Old Mill Stream Scenic Byway.
[Hancock Parks website, February 25, 2010]
 

Bath Bridge - NH/29-05-03

The historic covered bridge in Bath, N.H., is open again. It closed late last month after a winter thaw caused the Ammonoosuc River to rise. Large ice chunks pounded the bridge's support beams, forcing officials to close the bridge for emergency repairs.

Construction to fix the bridge wrapped up Thursday and the bridge is now open to traffic again. But a 3-ton weight restriction is still in effect.
[WCAX.com, February 18, 2010]

Chambers Railroad Bridge - OR/37-20-40

The Cottage Grove City Council passed an emergency resolution Tuesday night to speed up removal of the long-neglected 125-year-old span over the Willamette River. But the plan must first be approved by state and federal regulators. This bridge is the last covered railroad bridge west of the Mississippi. 

Last year, Cottage Grove received a $1.3 million grant from the National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program. On Jan. 12 a windstorm ripped through the region, causing a 2-inch lean in the bridge on both ends and city leaders to pick up the pace. The city's emergency resolution allows it ask for an exemption to a regulation that only permits bridge work during the summer.
[KVAL.com, February 17, 2010]