Cambridge Junction Covered Bridge

About

The Cambridge Junction Covered Bridge, also called the Poland Covered Bridge, carries Cambridge Junction Road over the Lamoille River in Cambridge, a short way east of Jeffersonville. It links Vermont Route 15 on the south side with Route 109 on the north. It is a single-lane Burr arch bridge about 153 feet long, built in 1887. It was closed to vehicles after the July 2023 flood and, as of September 2024, was open to pedestrians only.

History

George W. Holmes built the bridge in 1887 to give communities west of the river access to the railroad station. It was named for a local official, Judge Poland, and was controversial when built; Poland died in his hayfield the following July before he could use it. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 9, 1974.

In 1995 a vehicle struck one of the kingposts and the support system failed. Alpine Construction of Schuylerville, New York, rebuilt the bridge from 2003 to 2004, with help from a $1 million National Historic Bridge Program grant, and it reopened in July 2004. The July 2023 flood damaged its siding, torsion rods and abutments. The town hired Blow and Cote for repairs, and by September 2024 the siding had been reinstalled, the torsion rods addressed and abutment work begun.

Design

The flanking Burr trusses have laminated arches set into a multiple kingpost truss. Short tire rails were added along each side of the lane to protect the sides of the bridge from vehicle strikes.

Visiting

The bridge is on Cambridge Junction Road off Route 15. As of the Vermont Covered Bridge Society's September 2024 update, it was open to pedestrians only and closed to vehicles while abutment repairs continued.

Sources: Poland Covered Bridge, Wikipedia, Cambridge Junction Covered Bridge, Vermont Covered Bridge Society, Cambridge Junction update, September 2024, Vermont Covered Bridge Society