A historic covered bridge in Connecticut was damaged Tuesday when the boom of an excavator being towed over the span crashed into wooden support structures for the roof.
State police said the West Cornwall Bridge sustained “significant non-structural damage,” but expected the repair work to take only a few hours. The state Department of Transportation performed a safety inspection and determined there was no impact on the integrity of the bridge, troopers said.
The driver of the pickup truck that was towing the excavator “did not heed” the height limit of 10 feet, 11 inches (3.3 meters), and was charged with motor vehicle violations, state police said. The person’s name was not immediately released.
The bridge, painted schoolhouse red, was built in 1841 and spans 172 feet (52 meters) over the Housatonic River between Cornwall and Sharon. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which describes its lattice truss supporting the roof as an important engineering innovation at the time that made it very durable.
(Copyright (c) 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)