Covered Bridges on Two Wheels
A photographic journey to Vermont's Covered Bridges
Jaynes Bridge
The Jaynes Bridge is located in Waterville just off Route 109 on Codding Hollow Road. While sometimes the derivation of the names given to bridges is lost, that is not the case with the alternate names here. The Jaynes family lived nearby when it was built, and that has become its first and "official" name.
It has also been called the Codding Hollow Bridge for the road it is on and the geological feature it leads to. The end of the road also gives access to the Long Trail, known to Vermonters and avid hikers everywhere. The name "Upper Bridge" comes from the fact that it is the furthest upstream of the three bridges crossing the Lamoille river in Waterville. Finally, possibly the most popular appellation is the "Kissing Bridge". While covered bridges in general have been nicknamed "kissing bridges" for the ability to steal a kiss with your sweetheart out of view, a tourist in the 1950's jokingly hung a sign on the bridge proclaiming its nickname. The name stuck.
Current Status: Open
Location: Waterville, on Codding Hollow Road
Crosses: North Branch of the Lamoille River
GPS: 44.712061N, 72.756228W
Built: 1877 Length: 62 feet
Truss Design: Queenpost
WGN*: VT-08-15 NRHP**: Yes
* WGN: World Guide to Covered Bridges Number
**NRHP: Listed on National Register of Historic Places
In 1960, the rear end of a loaded gravel truck broke through the floor, requiring some reconstruction of the bridge. Reportedly, the floor was separated from the trusses and independently supported by four steel beams. But this doesn't make sense as far as its historical status is concerned. In order for it to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, the original construction of the bridge needed to remain intact. I wasn't aware of the conflict when I visited, so I didn't confirm whether the floor is still supported by the trusses or not. Perhaps someone can comment below if you know. Otherwise, I plan to re-visit the bridge to check this out for myself.
The otherwise longish Queenpost truss bridge appears to be in good shape, although I did notice some more modern bracing. The tie beams connecting the two trusses overhead have been braced with knee braces (as is typical) but the junction of the tie beams and queenposts have been further braced by steel plates.
Visiting the bridge:
Codding Hollow Road is a dirt road, but travel on it is minimal as the bridge sits just off Route 109. There was a parking area on the north side of the bridge just before you cross it, but I couldn't tell if it was private. It seemed like it to me, so I continued on through and parked on the side of the road (one advantage of having a vehicle that doesn't take up much space).
The interior of the bridge doesn't give much room for pedestrians and vehicles to co-exist, but as with a lot of Vermont covered bridges, this one is not very busy.
I had actually visited the bridge once before, way back in the early 1990's before digital cameras were mainstream. I was able to take a nice photo of the bridge from the side, but that's difficult to do now with all the vegetation that has grown up around it.
The river at this location also flows over some low falls, but I didn't explore as (if I remember correctly) the banks here are pretty steep.