About West Swanzey Covered Bridge
Bridges, Architecture, Interesting Places, Other Bridges
The West Swanzey Covered Bridge (also known as the Thompson Bridge) is a historic wooden covered bridge carrying Main Street over the Ashuelot River in West Swanzey, New Hampshire. The two-span Town lattice truss bridge was built in 1832 by Zadoc Taft for the town at a cost of $523.27. It is 136'10" long, with spans measuring 64'0" and 63'6", and rests on a stone central pier and abutments. Unusual for surviving covered bridges, the bridge occupies a central location in the village of West Swanzey, and was originally equipped with two sidewalks (it now has only one). In 1973 the bridge was posted for a six-ton limit, requiring school buses to empty before they could cross the bridge. It was closed to all traffic in 1990, but has since been rehabilitated and reopened.
