River Road Covered Bridge
North Troy, VT
WGN Number: 45-10-03
Photo by Steve Brown © 2018
The River Road Bridge is one of the few bridges in Vermont to use external lateral bracing. It is also the only town lattice truss bridge in the state to use only one treenail where the lattice planks cross.
This bridge has some unique design features described in the Covered Spans of Yesteryear website: "...the lattice has three chords per truss rather than the normal four and the lattice members are pegged with one treenail rather than two. Also it is absent of the upper intermediate chord. There are now five 7" by 7" timber buttress braces along each side to provide lateral stabilization to compensate for the lack of knee braces inside the structure. Initially there were three timber butress braces along each side."
Rehabilitation of the bridge was started in the summer of 2007 and was completed the following year. The rehabilitation work was done by Blow and Cote of Morrisville, Vermont.
During the project "the west abutment was stabilized and under-pinned with concrete and sheeting. The superstructure has added bracing (top chords and outside) to stabilize the bridge. Camber has been restored and the frame straightened. The bottom chords have new (replacement) wooden tension splices in numerous locations, and a new wooden deck (with protective curbs) has been installed within the supporting superstructure. In addition, the bridge has been treated with fire retardant and insecticide, and new approach railings have been added."
Full details of the project can be found in the VCBS News Archives: North Troy's Covered Bridge Open.
Click here for a short history of the Coventry Covered Bridge: A Short History of the River Road Covered Bridge.
Our thanks to the Town of North Troy for allowing the posting of the Vermont Covered Bridge Society Welcome patch. For more information about the North Troy area visit their website at www.troyvt.org.
River Road Covered Bridge Vital Statistics
| Town: | North Troy |
| Location: | Bayou Road |
| Crossing: | Missisquoi River |
| Date: | 1910 |
| Builder: | Unknown |
| Truss Type: | Town lattice |
| Truss Length: | 93 feet |
| Other Names: | School / Upper |
| National Register of Historical Places Listing Date: | November 19, 1974 |
| Date Rehabilitated: | 2007-2008 |
| Renovation Contractor: | Blow & Cote Morrisville, Vermont |
River Road Covered Bridge Update
On February 6, 2021 the River Road Covered Bridge was lost to fire. The fire was started when a snowmobile broke down inside the bridge and caught fire. The bridge had crossed the Missisquoi River in North Troy since 1910.
Photo by Brandon Elie © February 6, 2021
Follow the progress as the town decides how to go forward following the fire on the Rebuild the River Rd. Covered Bridge Facebook group.
Credits: All pictures, information and descriptions are taken from Spanning Time Vermont's Covered Bridges by Joseph C. Nelson ©1997 and the World Guide to Covered Bridges - 2009 unless otherwise specified.
