Village Covered Bridge
Waitsfield, VT
WGN Number: 45-12-14
Photo by Steve Brown © 2018
Built primarily to withstand the Mad River at its maddest, the Big Eddy Bridge was built without frills soon after the freshet of 1830 cleared the valley of bridges. A pedestrian walkway was added in 1940.
According to the Covered Spans of Yesteryear website, the bridge was restored in 1973 by Milton Graton. In 1989 the bridge floor was re-decked and distribution beams were added: Covered Spans of Yesteryear: Village Covered Bridge comments.
Jan Lewandowski, of Restoration and Traditional Building, was contracted to do further work in 2001. Phase one of the work involved the replacement of eight floor beams and the deck planking. The Burr Arch and walkway were also addressed at that time. Click here for a pictorial of the repairs: Waitsfield's Village Bridge Repairs Near Completion.
The most recent work was completed in 2015 by Alpine Construction of Schuylerville, New York. Improvements included widened abutments, a replacement and independently supported timber-clad pedestrian bridge, replacement of the decking and several floor beams, and roof repairs. Pictures and descriptions of the repairs were included in the Spring 2016 issue of the Bridger newsletter.
Today there is a webcam that shows the bridge in real time. Click here for a link to the webcam: Village Covered Bridge Webcam.
Village Covered Bridge Vital Statistics
| Town: | Waitsfield |
| Location: | Bridge Street |
| Crossing: | Mad River |
| Date: | 1833 |
| Builder: | Unknown |
| Truss Type: | Multiple King with Burr Arch |
| Truss Length: | 105 feet |
| Other Names: | Big Eddy, Great Eddy |
| National Register of Historical Places Listing Date: | September 6, 1974 |
| Date Repaired/Restored: | 1973, 1989, 2001, 2015 |
| Renovation Contractor: | Alpine Construction Schuylerville, New York - 2015 |
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.
