Great Eddy Covered Bridge
| Great Eddy Covered Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Carries | Automobile |
| Crosses | Mad River |
| Locale | Waitsfield, Vermont |
| Maintained by | Town of Waitsfield |
| ID number | VT-12-14 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Covered, Burr arch |
| Material | Wood |
| Total length | 107.25 ft (32.7 m) |
| Width | 16.1 ft (4.9 m) |
| Number of spans | 1 |
| Load limit | 3 tons |
| Clearance above | 9.5 ft (2.9 m) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | unknown |
| Construction end |
1833 |
  | |
| Coordinates | 44°11′21″N 72°49′24″W / 44.18917°N 72.82333°WCoordinates: 44°11′21″N 72°49′24″W / 44.18917°N 72.82333°W |
| Area | 1 acre (0.4 ha) |
| NRHP Reference # | 74000261[1] |
| Added to NRHP | September 6, 1974 |
The Great Eddy Covered Bridge, also called the Big Eddy Covered Bridge or Waitsfield Covered Bridge,[2] is a wooden covered bridge that crosses the Mad River in Waitsfield, Vermont on Bridge Street. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[1]
The bridge is of burr arch truss design. A sign on the bridge also identifies it as the Village covered bridge, and most news accounts about it refer to it by that name. The name is appropriate as it is located right in the village of Waitsfield (whereas a vast majority of surviving covered bridges tend to be off the beaten path). The walkway is not original to the bridge, being added in 1940.[3]
Recent history
The bridge has had many repairs in recent history, probably owing to the frequent traffic on it. In 1973, 1989, 1992, and 2001 different repairs were made.[3] The most recent repairs are documented on the VermontBridges.com website at (http://www.vermontbridges.com/waitsfld.htm).
Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Irene on August 28, 2011, swelled the Mad River and caused significant flooding throughout Waitsfield and the surrounding area. By late afternoon on August 28, the flood water had eliminated any clearance the bridge had over the river. In spite of water pummeling the side of the bridge and lifting several nearby buildings off their foundations, however, the bridge survived.[4] At last report, this bridge had been closed due to damage to the abutments.[5]
The bridge was closed for repairs in spring 2015 and reopened on November 12, 2016.
References
- 1 2 Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Great Eddy Covered Bridge
- 1 2 Evans, Benjamin and June. New England's Covered Bridges. University Press of New England, 2004. ISBN 1-58465-320-5
- ↑ http://www.valleyreporter.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4175&Itemid=38
- ↑ Kane, Trish. "Video clips and news on covered bridge damage due to Hurricane Irene". Vermont Covered Bridges Society website. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
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