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Berks
County, Pennsylvania
(WGN
38-06-05) (WGCB PA-06-05): (1854; repaired 1960; rehabilitated
c.
1970's; painted 1999) A single-span with a non functional Burr arch
truss with a cement floor 106' 2" over Sacony Creek. Located:
On Kutz Mill Road, approximately 2 miles northwest of Kutztown, Pennsylvania.
Directions: From I-78, take Exit 12 (Krumsville/Kutztown, SR 737),
go south on SR 737 for 2 miles to Kutz Mill Road (watch carefully for the
road, which is just before a highway bridge.) Turn right on Kutz
Mill Road and go 0.7 mile to the bridge. The bridge is also accessible
from Kutztown, Pennsylvania. From the jct. of Main Street and College
Boulevard (the beginning of the Kutztown University Campus), go north on
College Boulevard for 1.9 miles to Kutz Mill Road. Turn right on
Kutz Mill Road and go 0.3 mile to the bridge. In the summer of 1958
a study was made by the county engineer’s office, and it was found that
the truss and arch members were in good shape, but the floor system was
not. The wooden floor would not support the current loading requirements
at that time even with a new wooden floor system. So a system was
devised of keeping the shell of the covered bridge for historical purposed
while three steel I-beams were hidden in a floor poured of concrete.
Steel wheel guards or guard rails were also added to the interior of the
bridge for protection from misguided vehicles. The total cost of
the project was $19,258.00. According to a plaque mounted on
the bridges portal the repair work was completed in 1960. The bridge
was painted in 1999, however, no repairs were made. The structure
rests on stone and mortar abutments with long stone and mortar wing walls
capped with concrete. The bridge is covered with barn red painted
ship lapped siding on both the sides and the portals, and it is open under
the eves for ventilation. The portals also features the step or store
front design. While many Pennsylvania covered Bridges have similar
portals designs, however none in the state are exactly the same.
The deck is concrete and it has a sheet metal roof. Also known as
the Kutz's Covered Bridge, the Kutz Covered Bridge and the
Sacony
Covered Bridge. It was listed on the National Register of Historic
Places on February 23, 1981. (Jun 2008) |
