Thompson Covered Bridge - West Swanzey, New Hampshire

Also known as the West Swanzey Covered Bridge, the Thompson Covered Bridge connects the two halves of West Swanzey, New Hampshire over the Ashuelot River. The covered bridge was originally built in 1832 by Zadoc Taft for the grand sum of $523.27, which might seem like chump change by today's standards, but that was a nice payout in 1832. Utilizing a through truss design with lattice work, the bridge has two spans as it goes 151 feet across the river. The Thompson Covered Bridge is listed in the World Guide of Covered Bridges (WGCB) as number 29-03-04, is also listed as New Hampshire Covered Bridge # 5 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge has its home next to a mill of some sort, which is a monument to New England's industrial history. There is also a covered sidewalk on the north side of the bridge, which allows pedestrian traffic to enjoy the bridge without dodging cars.

By the time the 1970s rolled around, it was a whole new world of change and the covered bridge was showing its age after years of wear and tear. In 1973, when the bridge was posted for a six ton load limit, school buses were allowed to cross the bridge, but only if empty. I have come across similar factoids from other covered bridges I've researched, so maybe that was the solution at the time. When a bus full of students came to the bridge, the students would get off the bus, walk across the bridge, and board the bus again on the other side. In 1976, a new concrete and steel bridge was built nearby to carry heavy vehicles, just south of the covered bridge, at a cost of $376,914.61. The covered bridge was closed to vehicular traffic since the fall of 1990 after a report by state inspectors indicated the bridge was unsafe, and as a result, a committee was quickly formed in 1990 to develop proposals for the rehabilitation of the town's covered bridges. The Thompson Covered Bridge was ultimately reconstructed in 1993, so future generations can enjoy this local treasure.

How to Get There:

Sources and Links:
Bridgehunter.com - Thompson Covered Bridge 29-03-04
NHTourGuide.com - Thompson Covered Bridge West Swanzey
New Hampshire Bridges - West Swanzey Bridge
Life, on a Bridged - Thompson Covered Bridge, West Swanzey, NH

Comments

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l...

Massena Center Suspension Bridge

The Massena Center Bridge, also known as the Holton D. Robinson Bridge, has had quite the tumultuous history. Situated on the Grasse River just east of Massena, New York in the hamlet of Massena Center, the Massena Center Bridge is a reminder of the efforts the community has made in order to connect over the river. The first and only other known bridge to be built at Massena Center was built in 1832, but that bridge was never long for this world. During the spring of 1833, the Grasse River dammed itself due to an ice dam, flooded and lifted the bridge off its foundation, destroying the bridge in the process. The floods were frequent in the river during the spring, often backing up the river from Hogansburg and past Massena Center, but not to nearby Massena. After the first bridge disappeared, local residents had to resort to traveling seven miles west to Massena to cross the next closest bridge, and that was no easy task for a horse and buggy. However, it was many decades befo...

The Dead Man's Curve of Interstate 90 and Innerbelt Freeway in Cleveland

"Dead Man's Curve" refers to the transition ramp Interstate 90 takes between Cleveland Memorial Shoreway onto the Innerbelt Freeway in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Said curve includes a sharp transition between the two freeways which is known for a high rate of accidents. Currently the curve (not officially named) has a 35 MPH advisory speed and numerous safety features intended to mitigate crashes. When the Interstate System was first conceived during 1956, Interstate 90 was intended to use the entirety Cleveland Memorial Shoreway and connect to the Northwest Freeway through Lakewood. The Innerbelt Freeway was initially planned as the northernmost segment of Interstate 71. The extension of Cleveland Memorial Shoreway west of Edgewater Park was never constructed which led to Interstate 90 being routed through the Innerbelt Freeway. Part 1; the history of Cleveland's Innerbelt Freeway and Deadman's Curve The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signe...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog