About
Bitzer's Mill Covered Bridge carries Cider Mill Road (SR 1013) over the Conestoga River in West Earl Township, southeast of Ephrata. Built in 1846, it is described as the oldest covered bridge in Lancaster County still in use. The county's 2021 guide gives its length as 98 ft; Wikipedia gives 90 ft, and other surveys give 99 ft. It is closed to motor vehicles, but pedestrians, bicycles and buggies can still cross.
History
George Fink and Sam Reamsnyder built the bridge in 1846 for $1,115. Its other names, including Eberly's Cider Mill and Martin's Mill, come from later mill owners. A plan to replace it with a concrete bridge in 1962 was dropped after strong public opposition. Steel I-beams were later added under the floor. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 11, 1980.
On November 20, 2023, a tractor-trailer 13 ft 4 in tall became stuck inside the bridge, which has a 10 ft 6 in clearance, and damaged the overhead beams. While those repairs were under way, a March 2024 inspection found the stone abutments had deteriorated, which PennDOT said was not caused by the truck. The bridge is state-owned, and as of September 2024 PennDOT planned the abutment work for 2027.
Design
The bridge is a single span with double Burr arch trusses (timber arches combined with multiple kingpost trusses) and added steel hanger rods. The deck is oak plank. It is red outside, unpainted inside, with white approaches.
Visiting
The bridge sits where Cider Mill and Cats Back roads meet, about 1.5 miles from US 322 along Cabin Drive. Motor vehicles cannot cross; walkers, cyclists and buggies may.
Sources: Wikipedia: Bitzer's Mill Covered Bridge, LancasterOnline: Bitzer's Mill covered bridge won't reopen until 2027, Lancaster County Covered Bridges guide (2021)
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