West Liberty Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids West Liberty Covered Bridge |
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| Coordinates | 41°47′57″N 80°56′55″W / 41.79915°N 80.9485°W |
| Crosses | Cowles Creek |
| Locale | Geneva, Ohio |
| Maintained by | City of Geneva, Ohio |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 18 feet (5.5 m) |
| Number of spans | 1 |
| History | |
| Designer | John Smolen |
| Construction begin | 2010 |
| Construction end | 2011 |
| Opened | 2011 |
The West Liberty Covered Bridge is a special bridge in Geneva, Ohio, United States. It's a covered bridge, meaning it has walls and a roof, like a little house over the road. This bridge carries West Liberty Street over Cowles Creek.
It's known for being very short! At just 18 feet (about 5.5 meters) long, some people say it's the shortest covered bridge in the entire United States. It's one of 17 covered bridges you can drive through in Ashtabula County. The bridge was designed by John Smolen, who also designed the Smolen–Gulf Bridge, which is the longest covered bridge in the U.S.
Building the Bridge
Why a Covered Bridge?
The idea for the West Liberty Covered Bridge started in 2007. Before this, there was a concrete tunnel, called a culvert, where the bridge is now. When that culvert needed fixing, people decided to build a covered bridge instead.
It was thought that a covered bridge would be cheaper to build, or at least cost about the same (around $400,000). Plus, it would help bring more visitors to Ashtabula County, which is famous for its many covered bridges.
Construction Process
Work on the bridge's base began in September 2010. The bridge itself started to be put together the next month. About 60 students from the Ashtabula County Joint Vocational School (now called A-Tech) helped build the bridge. Their hard work helped save money on the project.
The bridge officially opened for cars on August 22, 2011. It had a special opening ceremony on October 8, 2011. The bridge also has safe paths on both sides for people to walk, keeping them separate from the road traffic.
Images for kids
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West Liberty Covered Bridge in May 2015
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Another view in May 2015
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The bridge in June 2016
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A panoramic view
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The bridge from another angle
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Another panoramic view
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