Project Summary

The Longley Covered Bridge was built in 1863 by the Jewett Brothers. The bridge is a 70′ long single span Town Lattice Truss, which spans the Trout River near the northwestern boundary of the Town of Montgomery with the Town of Enosburgh. The bridge is the oldest of six covered bridges remaining in the Town of Montgomery. Several serious structural deficiencies were observed during a routine bridge inspection by VTrans personnel, and as a result, the bridge was closed to traffic in 2011. Vehicular traffic is currently bypassed to a temporary prefabricated steel truss bridge located immediately downstream of the existing covered bridge. 

The project consists of preserving the original design of Town Lattice Truss and retaining the roof framing and upper lateral bracing. The new trusses and floor framing are currently being designed for a 20 ton live load. The project also includes application of a fire retardant coating, installation of a timber curb to protect the trusses, installation of new steel backed timber guardrail and approach roadway improvements. We are currently working on the design phase of this project, which is partially funded through the National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program.