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| Street View, Aug 2021 |
There are quite a few covered bridges in the USA, so I now generally skip them. But the dormers in the roof of this bridge caught my eye.
Marijane Brown posted two photos with the comment: "Kings Mill Covered Bridge, Marion, Ohio."
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| 1 |
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| 2 |
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| Bruce Johnson, Mar 2024 |
In the 19th Century, truss bridges replaced covered bridges. In 2016, a covered bridge replaced a truss bridge.
The covered bridge cost $3.2m. [MarionStar]
Rusty Bales posted nine photos with the comment:
Fascinating engineering on The Kingsmill covered bridge in Marion, Ohio. They actually built the bridge on the road then slid it into place. I'm not sure why they did it that way. When they placed it in place, the bridge actually settled between 9-12". I have included pictures from various friends. I will also provide some links with more pics, videos, and fun facts. As soon as the blacktop factories open they will lay the road and it'll be open mid May. Right next to a beautiful golf course.Scott, The picture you posted, I believe, is the latest.— at Kings Mill Covered Bridge.
[The comments contain links to three YouTube videos.]
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| 1 The old metal bridge. Scott Wagner: Did they re-purpose this bridge or was it scrapped? Rusty Bales: It's sitting on the golf course all stacked up waiting for a buyer. Most interested parties are golf courses out west probably to be reassembled on the course. [I wonder if it is wide enough for a two lanes of golf carts. This photo is now (2026) ten years old. I also wonder what happened.] |
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| 2 Building it on dry ground south of the river. |
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| 3 Slowly coming together soon to be slid into place. |
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| 4 40% over the water. |
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| 5 Engineers and builders surveying the move. |
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| 6 Now in place. |
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| 7 Once the support beams are knocked out it will settle 9-12" |
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| 8 The worlds largest game on Jenga begins. |
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| 9 A view from Kingsmill golf course hole #3, a Par 3 176 yards. This will be a photographers favorite spot to snap photos. |
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| Rusty Bales commented on Photo 1 Another reason to build a bigger taller more beautiful bridge. 😉 |
This is the truss bridge that was replaced.
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| MarionStar_gallery "The Parker through truss bridge spanning the Whetstone River on St. James Road is closed through Dec. 3, and will be replaced by wider and stronger wooden covered bridge. The original bridge once spanned the Scioto River on Ohio 4 before it was moved to its current setting in 1937 just north of the Kings Mill Golf Club, which opened in 1966. James Miller/The Marion Star" |
"Wright said his office originally estimated the covered bridge’s cost at just more than $2 million in 2006 when they decided the bridge had to be replaced, and that cost was commensurate with the cost of a more traditional steel arch girder design also considered. A concrete and girder bridge would have to be built higher to achieve the same water clearance over the river, meaning a portion of both St. James and Whetstone River Road would have to be raised 2 to 3 feet, which added the potential need for land acquisition." [MarionStar]
When I read the above about a clearance issue for a girder bridge, I wondered what the issue was. It looked like there was plenty of room for canoes to pass underneath. Then Rusty's photo above of a flood answered the question; they needed enough clearance to pass flood water.
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