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This series was conceived as a haven where folks can drop in to share conversation, ideas, weather reports, jokes, and music. Feel free to leave a note, comment, picture, or tune. As always, the diarist gets to sleep in, and may show up long after the post is published. Or not. So you know, it's a feature, not a bug.
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Ever wonder why builders decided to build covered bridges? It was not esthetics. The reason surprised me when I found out.
Back in the old days, the most economical way to build a bridge across a stream was to use wood. Stone and masonry were used for very short span, such as small creeks or streams. Extremely wide spans were a next to impossible challenge for bridge designers. The technology for extreme spans had not been developed. Small and medium size spans were only possible with wood.
Which brings us to the question of, “Why cover a bridge, given all that added expense.”
The answer is both simple and elegant. The covered part of a covered bridge is highly utilitarian and practical. Ever wonder what would happen to a bridge if the builder did not build a shed over it? Here is a factoid. A wood bridge will last about ten to twelve years before weather and ensuing wood rot makes it unsafe to use.
On the other hand, look at the life of a covered bridge, assuming it has regular maintenance of the shed covering it. The building timbers of the span itself must be massive in order to support the weight of the span itself, not to mention the living souls crossing it. Safety is expected.
This is the interior of the Elizabethton, Tennessee Covered Bridge. The unusual Howe Truss construction is easily visible.
The covered bridge in these photos was built in 1882, for the sum of $3,000.00.
The east and west sides of Elizabethton were difficult to reach in the days before and during the civil war. The geographical barrier of having the little Doe River running through the middle of a growing town, people who wanted to shop, trade, visit, or worship on the other side had a real problem. Much of the year, the Doe River could be waded across, but not all the time. Flash floods were (and still are) highly dangerous. This is what the Doe River looks like after a spring rainstorm on nearby Roan Mountain.
The iconic covered bridge is one of the most photographed sights in Tennessee. It means as much to the small City of Elizabethton as the Gateway Arch means to St. Louis, or the Eiffel Tower means to Paris. It is not every small town that has a true landmark, recognizable even to people who have never been here.
Some stats on the Doe River Covered Bridge.
Completed in 1882 at a cost of $3,000.00.
It is the longest single span covered bridge in Tennessee, and believed to be the longest in the USA. It is one span, constructed using wooden Howe Truss design. A Howe Truss is usually made up of timber diagonals and iron verticals.
The unsupported span is 137 feet (42 m) long. The total length of the bridge structure is 154.3 feet (47.0 m).
Curb-to-curb width is 16.4 feet (5.0 m) and the out-to-out width is 20.4 feet (6.2 m).
There is one traffic lane and a single walkway. The substructure is masonry, stone, and concrete.
The architectural detail is stunning for such a simple utilitarian structure. The bridge ends have a projecting truncated gabled roof feature.
There used to be vehicular traffic but no more. What killed vehicular traffic came when Suburbans, Hummers, other large SUVs, and big pickup trucks began using it to cross. A few years ago, the bridge was blocked off from vehicular traffic. It is still open to pedestrians and bicycles.
The bridge was designed for horse and wagon traffic, with a pedestrian walkway next to the roadbed. It was too valuable to risk having vehicles weighing up to six tons driving across. The bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is maintained aggressively by the local government. It is a tourist attraction, and earns its keep.
One of the things that adds to tourist interest is the birdwatching that goes on at and around the bridge.
Finally, we can’t have a bridge diary with the obligatory bridge music.
Here is Pink with her hit, Bridge of Light:
This song has been overworked a bit, but is included anyway. I like it because Art Garfunkel is a genius.