CORNWALL, Conn. — A historic covered bridge in the town of West Cornwall that had been closed after a trailer struck several wood beams that are part of the bridge’s roof structure, has been reopened after repairs.
Before Christmas, the Connecticut Department of Transportation said a backhoe being towed caused the bridge to be “severely damaged.”
The DOT said at the time they had analyzed the damage and determined that most of the upper truss lateral bracing has been damaged and that every cross brace was snapped.
On Tuesday, the DOT said the bridge had reopened. Drivers were reminded to pay attention to the signage in the area.
The West Cornwall Covered Bridge is located near the intersection of Route 128 and Route 7 and goes over the Housatonic River.
Measuring 172 feet long and 15 feet wide, the bridge is one of the last covered bridges in Connecticut. According to the town’s website, records show that there were several attempts to construct a bridge in that area as far back as 1762, but floods and more prevented its construction.
The current structure is believed to have been built in 1864 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The covered bridge is made of red spruce and held together with treenails – or wooden pegs that are wedged into place.
According to Connecticut History, this is not the first time the bridge has been damaged or closed.
In the 1920s, it was closed to pedestrian traffic due in part to safety concerns and in 1945, a 20-ton oil truck fell through the bridge floor. In 1968, the state considered replacing the 100-year-old structure, but a group of local activists committed to saving it stepped in.
In 1973, the Connecticut Department of Transportation inserted a steel support deck, which saved the bridge and won the state an award from the Federal Highway Administration for an outstanding example of historic preservation.
In 2021, an excavator being towed through the bridge struck the top, causing significant but non-structural damage.
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