Covered Bridges on Two Wheels
A photographic journey to Vermont's Covered Bridges
Fuller Bridge
One of five covered bridges in the town of Montgomery, the bridge originally on this site was one of the last built by the Jewett Brothers. It has been known as the Black Falls Bridge (for the brook it crosses) and the Post Office Bridge (the post office is just south of it). The original bridge was built in 1890 and was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
The repair history of this covered bridge is a little more interesting than others. It had just been restored in 1981 when the very next year a logging truck with a boom on the top literally tore the roof off. The driver was apparently oblivious and kept on going. He drove past the town highway garage where employees saw wood and Christmas lights hanging off the back (they had just decorated the bridge for the holidays). The trusses of the bridge were braced up after that incident and it spent the winter as an uncovered bridge until a new roof was installed the next year.
Current Status: Open
Location: Montgomery, on Fuller Bridge Road
Crosses: Black Falls Brook
GPS: 44.903248N, 72.639703W
Built: 2000 Length: 49.5 feet
Truss Design: Town lattice
WGN*: VT-06-05#2 NRHP**: not eligible
* WGN: World Guide to Covered Bridges Number
**NRHP: Listed on National Register of Historic Places
An inspection in 1993 found many problems with the bridge, including insect damage, rot and cracked truss members. It was recommended that the bridge receive some major repairs. Before the repairs could be made, in 1997, a flood came close to washing out the northwest corner of the bridge, and a steel beam was installed in the upstream side, on top of the floor and extending out onto the roadway on both sides. The lower truss chord was tied to the steel beam to keep the bridge from falling in.
Finally, repairs were scheduled, but it was too late. Once the bridge was disassembled, the trusses, especially the upstream one that had taken all kinds of abuse from the flooding, were beyond salvage. The floor likewise was a loss. The only thing that could be reused was the roof, since it was replaced in 1982 after the logging truck incident. Blow & Cote from Morrisville, VT (renovators of the nearby Comstock Bridge, and others) built a new bridge on the site in 2000.
Damage from over-sized vehicles continues to be a problem for this bridge. In May of 2017, the town selectboard started discussing the placement of a video monitoring solution so that perpetrators can be caught on camera.
Visiting the bridge:
Fuller Bridge is nicely situated in the village of Montgomery just a little ways off Route 118... it's hard to miss if you are coming from the south.
The road is paved, and because of the post office right there, parking is not a problem. Traffic was light when I visited, and the bridge is fairly short, and quite wide, so crossing it on foot should be fairly safe.