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Reconstruction of Mood Bridge to begin in July

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July 5, 2007 - Blooming Glen Road was closed starting July 2 and will remain closed until late November as PennDOT begins construction to rebuild Mood's Covered Bridge in East Rockhill Township, Bucks County.

During the road closure, Blooming Glen Road through traffic will be detoured over Branch Road, Walnut Street and 5th Street.

Three years ago, Mood's Covered Bridge was destroyed by arson. While the fire totally destroyed the covered bridge trusses, roof, and siding, the self-supporting roadway remained serviceable. The bridge was reopened to traffic in August, 2004.

A replication of the original span will be built with $732,796 in funds provided by the state. The bridge deck will be replaced and the supporting steel beams repainted. The new structure will be modified to provide more height clearance and fire regardant will be applied. The covered bridge will be 14 feet wide and 120 feet long.

When construction is completed, Bucks County will take ownership and East Rockhill Township will insure the bridge. Approximately 2,000 vehicles use the bridge daily. Lycoming Supply, Inc. of Williamsport, Pa. is the general contractor for the project.

PennDOT had rehabed the bridge in 1997 replacing the original bridge floor with a self-supporting deck structure on steel beams. The covered bridge portion of the structure was refurbished with modern materials, the work done by contractor Lycoming Supply. The contractor will use the same specifications for the new bridge.

According to the Word Guide to Covered Bridges published by the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, Moods bridge was built in 1873 using the Town truss to cross the East Branch of Perkiomen Creek in one 126-foot span.

[Our thanks to Doris Taylor for sending us the news clippings on which these articles are based - Ed.]

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