LYNDON, Vt. (WCAX) – With over 100 covered bridges in Vermont – some hundreds of years old – maintaining them can be a labor of love.
The Sanborn Bridge is a staple in the town of Lyndon, lovingly known as the covered bridge capital of the Northeast Kingdom.
Nicole Gratton of the Vermont Preservation Trust has been working on revitalizing the Sanborn Bridge for years.
“People love them. And this is the one they come to see first,” said Gratton.
Concerns surrounding the 200-year-old bridge include debris from the river hitting it and the potential for flooding.
Gratton says the group has the necessary funding after a handful of years and the next step is to get permits and construction underway.
“They’re gonna roll this bridge off the river. So that’s the first piece of it, and then the construction team will rehabilitate the superstructure,, which has all the wood and the roofing that you see, and then they will also take care of the substructure,” said Gratton.
Gratton says the goal is for construction to begin in 2025.
“Hopefully they’ll see and hear from their 100 years,” she said.
The Sanborn Bridge wasn’t impacted by July’s flooding, but not every covered bridge was so lucky – the Fisher covered railroad bridge in Wolcott being one of them.
“Anything that’s made of wood requires a great deal of attention,” said State Historic Preservation Officer Laura Trieschmann.
Trieschmann says the light wood on the side of the bridge is a result of repairs from July’s flooding and debris. It was reconstructed right after maintenance was done to get it ready for the Lamoille Valley rail trail.
“The other big threat, aside from maintenance, is vehicles that are too big and don’t fit. They still go through. And then every once in a while we do have some vandalism, unfortunately,” said Trieschmann.
Despite the work, Vermont still has the third most covered bridges in the country – something Trieschmann says history lovers and non-history lovers alike are proud of.