MERIDEN BRIDGE
Plainfield, New Hampshire

Location:

One mile northwest of N.H. Route 120 in Meriden Village on Colby Hill Road spanning Blood Brook in the town of Plainfield.

Style of Bridge:

Multiple Kingpost Truss

Year of Construction:

1880

Original Cost:

$685

Structural Characteristics:

The bridge is 80'0' long with clear spans of 36'9" and 29'3". It has an overall width of 16'7" with a roadway width of 13'3", and a maximum vertical clearance of 13'3". The bridge is posted for six tons.

Maintained By:

Town of Plainfield

World Guide Number:

29-10-08

New Hampshire Number:

24

           

Historical Remarks:

The current bridge is the third one on this site. The previous two were open timber structures. The present bridge was built by James Tasker for a fee of $465. Levi Sanderson was paid $220 for building the bridge abutments. After being damaged by Hurricane Carol on August 30, 1954, it was repaired at a cost of $3,000. In 1963, the bridge was rebuilt and steel beams were introduced to carry a load of fifteen tons. This is thought to be the first covered bridge in New Hampshire to be repaired under the state's Town Bridge Aid program. In the spring 1977, heavy snows caused the roof to cave in. The repairs cost $8,296. In 1985, the state repaired the substructure for $57,000. The bridge is also know as Mill Bridge. The Meriden 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