Bement Covered Bridge Rehabilitation
The Bement Covered Bridge is one of the four surviving Long Trusses in New Hampshire and one of 25 remaining in the United States. Although some original bridge elements were still in use prior to the 2021 rehabilitation, the bridge has been rehabilitated numerous times, most recently in 2012. The bridge is a single-lane, approximately 16′ wide, with a 9’-6″ vertical clearance and was posted with weight limit that allows use by passenger cars only. The rehabilitation work designed by Hoyle Tanner involved replacement of non-original members, the replacement “in-kind” of other members that may or may not be original but are rotted or damaged to the extent that they lack historical integrity, and the addition of reversible structural reinforcing members. All work was conducted in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties by not altering any aspects of the property’s historic integrity or character-defining features that make it eligible for the National Register.
The bridge owner, Town of Bradford, selected Hoyle, Tanner & Associates, Inc. to design the rehabilitation measures to extend the service life of the bridge. The new bridge retains the overall structure/appearance of the original bridge by replicating the curved bridge portals and reconstructing a new north abutment that closely resembled the existing south abutment. The bridge is a vital piece of the Town’s history for the region by providing an attraction place and promoting tourism, which is a driver of economic growth and development for the Town of Bradford. In addition, it demonstrates the role that engineering plays in our infrastructure.