Town Ratifies Bucks County Plan For Mood's Bridge

 

East Rockhill, Pa., Jan. 26, 2005 - The Township Supervisors at their Jan. 18 meeting ratified an agreement with Bucks County for the Town to take over Mood's Covered Bridge, allowing PennDot to rebuild. The state-owned wooden bridge was destroyed by arson June 22, 2004.

Last fall, county and township officials met and agreed the covered bridge should be rebuilt because of its historic significance in Bucks County. PennDOT said it would only replace the span as a covered bridge if another entity would take it over.

The State will replace the covered bridge then transfer it to the county. The county will assume all major maintenance and repair while the township will handle regular upkeep. The town will form a nonprofit corporation for fund-raising to defray cost of maintenance and an annual insurance premium.

The design and engineering phase will take about a year in preparation before the work is put out for bids. The construction work is expected to take six months. The cost is estimated to be not less than $500,000.

The burned Mood's Bridge, [WGN 39-09-07] was built in 1873 using the Town Truss to cross the East Branch of Perkiomen Creek. It was 126 feet long in a single span.