Milton Covered Bridge is a covered Howe truss covered bridge in a community park in Milton, West Virginia. It is the only remaining span of its type in the state.
Milton Covered Bridge is a covered Howe truss covered bridge in a community park in Milton, West Virginia. It is the only remaining span of its type in the state.
Constructed in 1834 by R.H. Baker along the James River Turnpike, the bridge underwent renovations in 1875, 1876, and 1971. 4 The last rehabilitation included the replacement of certain floor beams, the addition of load-bearing steel girders beneath the deck, new siding, and a rebuilt floor and roof. 5
Deterioration limited Milton Covered Bridge’s use to just pedestrians in 1985. 6 In 1989, the History & Restoration Plan for the Milton Covered Bridge was released by Emory Kemp of Morgantown, which included detailed guidance on the repair or replacement of bridge components, but no work on the covered bridge was carried out. 3 A new crossing was constructed upstream in 1991, and in March 1996, the covered span was closed to pedestrians because of structural concerns.
In December, Orders Construction Company of St. Albans was awarded a $224,840 contract to stabilize the covered bridge until a full restoration could be completed. 6 A preservation plan was approved by the Town of Milton in early 1997, which proposed the reconstruction of the bridge at the Mud River crossing along the James River & Kanawha Turnpike at the cost of $778,500. 2 The covered bridge was relocated—sans a roof, floorboards or siding boards—to less flood-prone site a mile away for temporary storage in March, which saved the crossing from being destroyed in floodwaters later in the month. 6
The bridge was expected to be rebuilt in 1998, but it was not until February 2001 that bids were opened to reconstruct the stored components of the bridge over a pond at the West Virginia Pumpkin Park. 6 Ahern & Associates of South Charleston was awarded a $900,000 reconstruction project, which included the rebuilding of the bridge with as many original components as possible, the construction of new concrete abutments that were to be encased in stone from the original site, the installation of a stainless steel roof, and the repair of the truss. The restored Milton Covered Bridge was reopened to pedestrians in October, 6 and formally dedicated on April 26, 2002. 1
Information
- State: West Virginia
- Type: Covered Howe Truss
- Status: Active - Pedestrian
- Total Length: 208.5
- Spans:
- Deck Width: 14 feet
- Navigational Clearance:
Sources
- Black, Trudy. “Bridge gets a new HOME.” Putnam Post, April 29, 2002.
- Shultz, Amy. “Bridge gets a new covering.” Putnam Post, June 17, 1999.
- Shultz, Amy. “Bridge is uncovered for several weeks, officials differ on how weather will affect it.” Putnam Post, June 10, 1999.
- “Milton Covered Bridge.” West Virginia Department of Transportation. May 2002.
- Armstrong, James B. Milton (Sink’s Mill) Covered Bridge. Historic American Engineering Record, 1975.
- “Milton.” West Virginia Department of Transportation. 2020.