WEST SWANZEY BRIDGE
Swanzey, New Hampshire

Location:

East of N.H. Route 10 on Main Street over the Ashuelot River in West Swanzey. The bridge connects two built-up areas of the town.

Style of Bridge:

town lattice truss

Year of Construction:

1832

Original Cost:

$523.27

Structural Characteristics:

The bridge is 136'10" long with clear spans of 64'0" and 63'6". It has an overall width of 25'6" with a roadway width of 16'7" and a maximum vertical clearance of 11'11". There is a sidewalk on the south side of the bridge. The bridge was posted for six tons until the fall of 1990 at which time it was closed to all traffic.

Maintained By:

Town of Swanzey

World Guide Number:

29-03-04

New Hampshire Number:

5

           

Historical Remarks:

The bridge was constructed by Zadoc Taft and is also known as the Thompson Bridge. In 1973, when it was posted for a six ton load limit, school busses were allowed to cross the bridge, but only if empty. When a bus full of students came to the bridge, the students would get off the bus, walk across the bridge, and reboard the bus on the other side. In 1976, a new concrete and steel bridge was built nearby to carry heavy vehicles. This new bridge cost $376,914.61. The bridge has been closed to vehicular traffic since the fall of 1990 after a report by state inspectors indicated the bridge was unsafe. The Swanzey Historical Museum has a collection of historical material relating to all the covered bridges in town including a scale model of the West Swanzey Bridge. A highway committee was formed in 1990 to develop proposals for the rehabilitation of the town's covered bridges. The West Swanzey Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Table of Contents

New Hampshire Bridges

New Hampshire Covered Bridges
Compiled and edited by
Richard G. Marshall
Chief System Planning
New Hampshire Department of Transportation
Color photographs by Arthur F. Rounds
1994