SWIFTWATER BRIDGE
Bath, New Hampshire

Location:

North of N.H. Route 112 on Valley Road in Bath over the Wild Ammonoosuc River.

Style of Bridge:

Paddleford truss with added arches

Year of Construction:

1849

Original Cost:

Unknown

Structural Characteristics:

The bridge is 158'4" long with clear spans of 77'6" and 57'6". It has an overall width of 21'0", a roadway width of 14'6" and a maximum vertical clearance of 12'9". The bridge is posted for six tons.

Maintained By:

Town of Bath

World Guide Number:

29-05-02

New Hampshire Number:

29

           

Historical Remarks:

This bridge is the fourth to cross the Wild Ammonoosuc River at this site. The first was built in 1810. It was carried away in 1818 by a flood and replaced in the same year. Again, the bridge was destroyed by a flood in 1828. The third bridge was erected in 1829 and remained at the site until 1849. At that time it was dismantled and replaced by the current bridge. This bridge was rebuilt by the state in 1977 at a cost of $34,347. The rebuilding costs were shared by the state and town. This section of the river was used to float logs to the sawmill. Often log jams presented a hazard to the bridge. In one case, dynamite was used to break up a log jam and although the blast was successful, logs had to be removed from the roof of the bridge. The Swiftwater 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