Covered Bridges on Two Wheels
A photographic journey to Vermont's Covered Bridges
Lincoln Bridge
Located in a small hamlet west of Woodstock called Westerdale, the Lincoln Bridge is named for the people who owned the land adjacent to the bridge when it was built. Today, reminders of that can be seen in the area.
The bridge was renovated in 1947, but it was a 1988 renovation that stirred controversy. Citing heavy traffic loads, the town opted to have some steel tension rods installed under the chords, and (reportedly) distribution beams under the floor. On my visit, I noticed no distribution beams, so either the report is incorrect or they were subsequently removed.
Current Status: Open
Location: Woodstock, on unnamed road
Crosses: Ottauquechee River
GPS: 43.600345N, 72.569158W
Built: 1877 Length: 137 feet
Truss Design: Pratt / tied arch
WGN*: VT-14-13 NRHP**: Yes
* WGN: World Guide to Covered Bridges Number
**NRHP: Listed on National Register of Historic Places
What made the most noise was the addition of six green fiberglass panels in the roof. Decried as an abomination on covered bridges, one purist likened them to something you would find in a honky-tonk. The town made the decision to have them installed in order to bring light into the otherwise very dark bridge - for collision avoidance. Ugly or not, the panels do provide light in the bridge without having to cut windows in the side (which can let in water).
However, the real story of this bridge is the truss. It is the only wooden bridge left with this design, and may have been the only bridge ever built exactly in the manner that it was. The builders used the patented Pratt truss as the inspiration, but modified it. The Pratt truss has an upper and lower chord like other trusses, but the chords are connected by wooden vertical posts and between each pair is a criss-cross of bracing in the form of metal rods. The patent stipulates that a modification of the truss can include using a bowed upper chord rather than a straight one - which is what the builders did here. They went one step further in the modification by continuing the curved upper chords until they intersected and were tied into the bottom chords at the ends, which is an engineering feature seen in tied-arch bridges. Therefore, the truss is considered a Pratt truss with a tied-arch.
The Pratt truss, first executed in wood, was very popular and used in many steel bridges which still exist today. While on your covered bridge tour, you will no doubt travel to the center of Woodstock to view the Middle Bridge. While in the area, take a little detour to where Elm Street crosses the river. Here you will find an example of a Pratt truss executed in steel.
Visiting the bridge:
With the unique truss design being a draw to visit, it is fortunate that the bridge is easy to find and access just off Route 4, west of Woodstock Village.
Being easy to find, many have stopped to visit and thusly there are several parking areas established. The north side of the bridge (Route 4 side) has the more official parking area, but there are also a couple of turnouts on the south side of the bridge both to the east and west.
The road on the south side is dirt/loose gravel. This poses an extra hazard for motorcyclists, but this intersection is much less busy, and much wider, so it is the better choice to get a photo of your bike with the bridge (as seen in the background photo).