Covered Bridges on Two Wheels
A photographic journey to Vermont's Covered Bridges
Cedar Swamp Bridge
The Cedar Swamp Bridge was destroyed on September 10, 2016 in what was initially thought to be a suspicious fire. This page will remain on the web site pending the outcome of discussions being undertaken to determine whether the replacement will be another covered bridge.
Below are just a few links that may be of interest:
Main article from the Addison Independent Newspaper
Photos of the damage from the Vermont Covered Bridge Society
TV news story concerning a colony of bats that lived in the bridge
Current Status: Destroyed
Location: between Salisbury and Cornwall,
on Creek Road / Swamp Road
Crosses: Otter Creek
GPS: 43.918077N, 73.173929W
Built: 1865 Length: 153.5 feet
Truss Design: Town lattice
WGN*: VT-01-01 NRHP**: Yes
* WGN: World Guide to Covered Bridges Number
**NRHP: Listed on National Register of Historic Places
The Cedar Swamp Bridge crossed the Otter Creek between Salisbury and Cornwall. A large boggy area called Cedar Swamp is on the Cornwall side of the bridge and this is the name that was used when listing the bridge in the National Register of Historic Places. But, this bridge had probably the most alternate names of any other bridge in the state. It had also been known as:
Cornwall-Salisbury Bridge, Salisbury-Cornwall Bridge, Salisbury Station Bridge (for the nearby hamlet of the same name), Station Bridge (shortened version of the previous name), Creek Road Bridge (being on Creek Road), Otter Creek Bridge (for the waterway it crosses).
Until 1969, this was the longest single-span covered bridge in Vermont. But it was decided that maybe it was too long and a center pier was added to help correct a sag that had developed. The pier can be seen in the first photo of the slideshow above. In 2008 a major restoration of the bridge was undertaken at which time (among many other repairs) two vertical posts were installed to make better use of the center pier added previously. The new vertical posts can be seen right in the middle of the second photo.
The installation of the posts was undertaken such that the lattice is uninterrupted, but the chords that tie the lattice together at top and bottom are no longer continuous. One source of information claims that this effectively means the bridge is now two spans, while another lists it as 1+ (the plus meaning it has added support). I'm not sure which is technically correct, but I would lean toward the 1+ since the lattice is still continuous.
Either way, due to the restoration, the bridge was in excellent shape until it was destroyed by fire.
Visiting the bridge:
On this photo journey, I have been trying to get at least one photo of my motorcycle with each bridge. To do so in this case, I made use of a very small wide-spot in the road. The area seems to have been enlarged since I visited, according to satellite images. But, a better bet would be to go to the Cornwall side of the bridge where there is a large parking area that is also used for fishing access and other recreation. The roads on both sides of the bridge are paved.
Sadly, this bridge no longer stands.