Jericho Underhill Park District Announces Covered Update

WGN 45-04-B

 

 

November 30, 2021 - Livy Strong, Chairperson of the Jericho Underhill Park District, announced the updating of the covered bridge serving the Mills Riverside Park, “The company, Blow and Cote, Inc., was awarded the bid to remove the bridge roof and walls and to install safety handrails. This deconstruction will be accomplished before Thanksgiving. Handrails should be going up [soon] with no bridge closure. The Park District will update our community with a date for the removal of the walls and roof as soon as possible. [The] bridge work should only inconvenience park visitors for about half a day.

“The next step in the reconstruction of the covered bridge will take place once funds are secured. The Jericho Underhill Park District is waiting to receive the anticipated cost of adding a new roof and walls and possibly installing new abutments. It may take several years to raise the funds necessary through a possible bond issue and fundraising to complete the bridge reconstruction. The final product will be a covered bridge looking very much like the original one that we have all become familiar with. However, it will more accurately reflect the traditional truss construction commonly used in covered bridge building instead of simple wall boards with a corrugated metal roof.

“Our covered bridge at Mills Riverside Park offers a rustic entrance to a spectacular property. Since the 1960’s, this bridge has been the only way to access 216 acres of open meadow and forested hillside. Today, up to 460 park visitors cross this span daily. The goal of the Jericho Underhill Park District is to make sure that the covered bridge continues to greet park enthusiasts for generations to come. Please contact the Park District at jupdistrict@gmail.com or 802-899-2693 with any questions.”

The Mills Riverside Park Bridge is listed in Romantic Shelters, a supplement to The World Guide to Covered Bridges, published by the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. It is described as being built in 1927, 37 feet long, on stringers. It’s registered with the world guide number 45-04-B, 45 being Vermont, 04 being Chittenden County. The letter designates it a Romantic Shelter, the letter capitalized means that it supports highway traffic. Romantic Shelters are built out of love for their historic ancestors and love for the places they enhance.

Joe Nelson