Quick Trip - 3 local bridges

A nice night for a short ride.  We made our way over to Westford to see the Brown's River Bridge.  Not in use since the 1960's it was moved to dry land in 1987 and then back over the river and restored in 2001.  It is closed to vehicle traffic.  (But we saw evidence that a horse had been over it recently!)
 

Brown's River Bridge - Westford 

The LaRue Bridge is located in Underhill Flats, a subsection of Jericho. It is a stringer bridge that was built in 1982. A stringer bridge has a longitudinal beam or beams that supports the bridge deck. These bridges look very flimsy compared to their for-fathers. This bridge leads to a private residence. It is not on Vermont's official road map but since it is very close to where we live we had to check it out.

 LaRue Bridge - Underhill Flats - Jericho

Riverside Park Bridge in Underhill Flats, Jericho was built in 1972.  It is a stringer bridge.  Located in a park it is a great way to get to the ball fields.  Several children were playing in the water under the bridge on this very hot day!

Riverside Park Bridge, Underhill Flats, Jericho

 Now might be a good time to add some of Dan's bridge research. One of the reasons the bridges were covered was to protect the floor boards and the side supporting timbers.

"Timothy Palmer built the first American covered bridge over the Schuylkill River at 30th Street in Philadelphia in 1800. The investors asked to have it covered in the hopes of extending the life of the bridge, and Palmer reluctantly agreed. The value of the covered bridge design was quickly recognized, as it greatly extended the life of the wooden bridges by protecting the side supporting timbers (not necessarily the floorboards) from exposure to the weather, thus lowering maintenance costs." http://pittsburgh.about.com/cs/pennsylvania/a/covered_bridges.htm

Many people also agree that the bridges were covered because horses did not like to cross open bridges where they could see and hear the often rushing water.  Some of the entrances even look like the opening to a barn.

Covered bridges were known as "kissing bridges" where courting couples might stop and steal a kiss in the relative privacy provided by the bridge. 

Winter weather did pose a problem for drivers of sleighs. Often snow had to be shoveled onto the bridge to provide a smooth ride for metal sleigh runners.  Towns would have to put money in the budget to pay for "snowing" the bridge!

After the bridge viewing this evening we stopped for a quick bite at Joe's Snack Bar, a Jericho landmark.

Happy trails.  Covered bridge count 58.  Stay cool.  Nancy