About
Wright Covered Bridge, also known as the Cerl or Carl Covered Bridge, crosses the North Branch of Pigeon Creek in Somerset Township, Washington County. It stands just south of Interstate 70 and can be seen from the highway.
History
The exact construction date is unknown; sources estimate about 1875. The bridge was restored in 1998. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as part of the Covered Bridges of Washington and Greene Counties listing, and the Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation has designated it a historic bridge.
Design
Wright is a short kingpost truss bridge, about 26 feet long and 13 feet 4 inches wide. It is painted red, with a tin roof, board siding and four rectangular windows. It rests on stone and mortar abutments with concrete wingwalls.
Visiting
The county driving guide lists the bridge as open to vehicles and pedestrians, and it carries a posted 15-ton weight limit. The road once continued across Interstate 70 but now dead-ends just past the bridge, and there is no formal pull-off.
Sources: Wright Covered Bridge, coveredbridges.net, Washington County covered bridges, Uncovering PA, Washington County Covered Bridges Driving Guide
Photo: Jerrye and Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Similar Bridges in category
Explore More
Hunsecker's Mill Covered Bridge
Manheim and Upper Leacock townships, Lancaster County. Built 1843, 180 ft over the Conestoga River. The county's longest single-span covered bridge, rebuilt in 1973 after Agnes.
Herr's Mill Covered Bridge
Elizabethtown, Lancaster County. Built 1844, a two-span 178 ft bridge over Pequea Creek. Dismantled in 2018 and moved to the private Stone Gables Estate.
Pine Grove Covered Bridge
Little Britain Township, Lancaster County. Built 1884, 198 ft over the East Branch Octoraro Creek. A two-span Burr arch, it is the county's longest covered bridge.