About
Shaffer's Covered Bridge, also called Ben's Creek Covered Bridge, crosses Ben's Creek on Township Road 634 west of Tire Hill in Conemaugh Township, Somerset County, near Johnstown. It is a Burr arch truss 68 ft 2 in long, built in 1877, and it is the northernmost covered bridge in Somerset County. It sits just off a busy road in a residential area and carries vehicle traffic.
History
The bridge was built in 1877. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 1980, as part of the Covered Bridges of Somerset County group nomination. Problems with its support beams built up over several years, and the bridge was closed in December 2019 for repairs. Temporary supports were then added to the roof so small vehicles could keep crossing. In 2021 the county planned a 2022 project, described as the first major renovation in decades, using pressure-treated lumber that had to dry for about 120 days before it could be installed.
Design
A Burr arch truss pairs a long timber arch on each side with a multiple kingpost truss, the two bolted together to share the load. Shaffer's has a shingle-covered gable roof.
Visiting
The bridge is on T-634 west of Tire Hill, about 15 minutes from downtown Johnstown. There is normally room to park at the southern end. It is open to traffic as a local road crossing.
Sources: Shaffer's Bridge (Wikipedia), Shaffer Covered Bridge (coveredbridges.net), Work set for 2022 to repair historic Somerset County bridge (Tribune-Democrat)
Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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