Blenheim Bridge

Blenheim Bridge. National Historic Landmark. , Built in 1854, it is the longest single-span covered bridge in the world. The covered portion of the bridge is 232 feet long, the trusses are 228 feet long, and the span between abutments is 210 feet. The two lanes are 26 feet wide., Completed in 1855 at a cost of $6,000, the bridge's main feature is it's single center arch. Hewed from oak, the beams are spaced in three layers to allow for the natural movement of the wood. The arch rests on each abutment and reaches the ridgepole in its center., The most famous Vermont covered bridge builder, Nicholas Montgomery Powers (1817-1897) of Pittsford, built the bridge. Because of the size of the span, citizens were skeptical as to whether it would stand on its own. Talk of "Powers' Folly” spread through the area and so Powers, to show his faith in his design, sat on the ridgepole on the day the workers removed the scaffolding., Blenheim Covered Bridge , Longest Single Span Wooden Bridge Of Its Type In The World, (rear side) , The Blenheim Covered Bridge 1855-2011 , Designed and built by Nicholas Powers in 1855., At 210 feet (64 meters) between abumments, it was recognized as the world's longest stngle-span two lane wooden bridge., At 210 feet (64 meters) between abumments, it was recognized as the world's longest single-span two lane wooden bridge., The Blenheim Covered Bridge 1855-2011 , By 1855, the Industrial Revolution had made inexpensive iron readily available., Powers used large iron bolts and rods to assemble the bridge quickly and easily. This marked a transition from barn-like construction to later iron bridges., This will also make the bridge easier to rebuild., The Blenheim Covered Bridge 1855-2011 , Photos before and after Hurricane Irene, August 27-28, 2011, The Blenheim Covered Bridge 1855-2011 , It continued to carry heavy traffic up to eight 13-15 ton trucks at one time until 1930. Then a connecting 1885 iron bridge failed, and the need to straighten the approach for longer, wider loads resulted in a new steel bridge bypassing the wooden one, which was taken over and maintained by Schoharie County. , The 1930 steel bridge was replaced in 2006., The Blenheim Covered Bridge 2011... , Efforts are currently underway to recover and preserve pieces of the original bridge. The community hopes to use as much original material as possible to reconstruct the bridge and retain its National Historic Landmark status.