Pulp Mill Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pulp Mill Covered Bridge |
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Bridge in U.S. state of Vermont
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| Carries | Automobile |
| Crosses | Otter Creek |
| Locale | Middlebury, Vermont |
| Maintained by | Towns of Middlebury and Weybridge |
| ID number | VT-01-04 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Covered, Burr arch |
| Material | Wood |
| Total length | 199 ft (60.66 m) |
| Width | 22.5 ft (6.86 m) |
| Number of spans | 3 |
| Clearance above | 8 ft (2.4 m) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | unknown |
| Construction end | ca 1820 |
 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Area | 1 acre (0.4 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000200 |
| Added to NRHP | September 10, 1974 |
The Pulp Mill Covered Bridge, also known as the Paper Mill Covered Bridge, is a special wooden bridge. It crosses the Otter Creek river. You can find it between the towns of Middlebury and Weybridge, Vermont on Seymour Street. This historic bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Bridge History
This bridge uses a design called a Burr arch. Around 1860, the original arches were changed. New, layered arches were added to a different type of support called King post trusses. This made the bridge a mix of both designs.
The Pulp Mill Covered Bridge is very unique for many reasons:
- It is one of only seven "double-barreled" (two-lane) covered bridges in the entire country.
- It is one of only two such bridges in Vermont. The other is the Museum Covered Bridge.
- It is the only double-barreled covered bridge in Vermont that people still drive on every day.
- It is the oldest covered bridge in Vermont. It is also one of the oldest covered bridges in the whole country!
The exact age of the bridge is a bit of a mystery. A sign on the bridge says it was built between 1808 and 1820. However, a bridge expert named Jan Lewandosky thinks it was built around 1850. He found this date by looking at old town records from Middlebury. He also knows a lot about how covered bridges were built back then. In 1850, the town of Middlebury sent someone to look at a new Burr Arch bridge in Essex, Vermont. Sadly, the design was not copied perfectly, which led to some problems with the bridge's structure.
Bridge Improvements
When the bridge was first built, it had only one main section over the water. But because of its design problems and how much it was used, the bridge needed many repairs. One big improvement was adding two support structures, called piers, into the creek. This split the bridge into three shorter sections.
Another helpful change was adding a walkway on the outside of the bridge. The towns of Weybridge and Middlebury worked together to add this path for people walking or biking. Many other repairs have been made over the years. You can find out more about them on the Vermont Bridges website.
The Pulp Mill Bridge was closed for a major repair project from January 2, 2012, until November 9, 2012.
Photo gallery
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View of Pulp Mill Bridge looking east from Weybridge in 2009; before the 2012 rehabilitation project
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Pulp Mill Bridge (looking east from Weybridge) during the rehabilitation project: Sep 2012
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Pulp Mill Bridge bicycle & pedestrian pathway, looking west from Middlebury, VT
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Pulp Mill Bridge (with bicycle & pedestrian way) looking east from Weybridge, VT: 13 Jun 2015
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View of Pulp Mill Bridge from the north along Otter Creek: 13 Jun 2015
