Skip to main content

Blenheim Covered Bridge

They say that you never forget your first. In this case, the Blenheim Covered Bridge in Schoharie County was the first covered bridge that I saw, back when I was a young boy during the 1980s. Since then, I have seen numerous covered bridges stretching from coast to coast in both the United States and Canada, but I will always have an affinity towards the Blenheim Covered Bridge and its unique design.

The old Blenheim Covered Bridge in October 2008.

The original Blenheim Bridge was built in 1855 by Nicholas Montgomery Powers, who was a prominent covered bridge builder of his day. Spanning over the Schoharie Creek, the bridge was located in the Town of Blenheim in southeastern Schoharie County on NY 30 in North Blenheim, until it was washed away during the floods caused by the remnants of Hurricane Irene on August 28, 2011. During its existence, the Blenheim Bridge was the longest single span bridge in the world at 228 feet in length and was one of only just a few remaining bridges in the world with two separated (or double barreled) lanes. The old Blenheim Bridge was open to vehicular traffic until 1932, when New York State built a new bridge for traffic about 100 feet downstream of the covered bridge. The covered bridge was supposed to removed back then, but there was enough public outcry that caused the covered bridge to remain open for sightseeing, thus allowing future generations to enjoy this local treasure.



After floods had destroyed the original bridge, efforts have been made to build a replica of the Blenheim Bridge. In 2016, funds were approved to pay for the construction of a new covered bridge using federal and state funds. Construction on the new bridge commenced in 2017, with an expected opening of the new bridge in July 2018. I'll be there as soon as I can after it opens, so I can create new memories.


Construction of one of the sides of the new bridge in December 2017.


Sources and Links:
National Historic Landmarks Program - Old Blenheim Bridge
New York State Covered Bridge Society - Blenheim Covered Bridge
Watershed Post - Schoharie County Approves Final Design for new Blenheim Bridge 
Cobleskill Times-Journal - Work on Blenheim Bridge Starting Soon

Crossposted from my Blenheim Covered Bridge post at the Unlocking New York blog.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Old River Lock & Control Structure (Lettsworth, LA)

  The Old River Control Structure (ORCS) and its connecting satellite facilities combine to form one of the most impressive flood control complexes in North America. Located along the west bank of the Mississippi River near the confluence with the Red River and Atchafalaya River nearby, this structure system was fundamentally made possible by the Flood Control Act of 1928 that was passed by the United States Congress in the aftermath of the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927 however a second, less obvious motivation influenced the construction here. The Mississippi River’s channel has gradually elongated and meandered in the area over the centuries, creating new oxbows and sandbars that made navigation of the river challenging and time-consuming through the steamboat era of the 1800s. This treacherous area of the river known as “Turnbull’s Bend” was where the mouth of the Red River was located that the upriver end of the bend and the Atchafalaya River, then effectively an outflow

Interstate 10S and the original Interstate 110 in California

Interstate 10S is a short spur of Interstate 10 along San Bernardino Freeway in downtown Los Angeles.  Interstate 10S begins at the Santa Ana Freeway (US Route 101) and extends east to Interstate 5 where it merges into mainline Interstate 10.  Interstate 10S is one of the oldest freeway segments in Los Angeles having been part of US Routes 60, 70 and 99 when it was part of the corridor of the Ramona Expressway.  The current corridor of Interstate 10S was assigned as Chargeable Corridor H following the passage of the 1956 Federal Highway Aid Act.  Interstate 110 was a short-lived designation which comprised the segment San Bernardino Freeway from US Route 101 to Interstate 5 between 1964-1968.  The original Interstate 110 was dropped as a Chargeable Corridor during 1965 and consolidated as Interstate 10S during 1968.   The original Interstate 110 can be seen as the blog cover photo as it was featured on the 1964 Division of Highways Map.  Below the entire 0.65-mile length of Interstate

Vicksburg Bridge (Vicksburg, MS)

  Located a few hundred feet downriver from the Old Vicksburg Bridge, the Vicksburg Bridge, or the “New” Bridge, serves as the city’s vehicular crossing of the Mississippi River on the main highway connecting Vicksburg with northeastern Louisiana to the west and the state capital of Jackson to the east. The completion of the original Vicksburg Bridge in 1930 was seen as a huge success and the bridge proved to be a profitable entity for both road and railroad interests along the path of the Dixie Overland Highway and the subsequent US Highway 80 corridor. In the years after the creation of the National Interstate Highway System, planning commenced on a new bridge at the site that would relieve the congestion on the existing bridge while providing for a more modern crossing of the river that would be safe for all vehicles. The construction of the new bridge at Vicksburg was completed in 1973 and its design intentionally mimics that of its predecessor nearby. This was due in large part