Utica Covered Bridge Status
This page contains information and updates regarding the Utica Covered Bridge that was damaged by an oversized box truck on June 15th, 2006.
Go to the first update
July 6, 2006 - "Repairs Are Complete !"
The county work crew finished their repairs and reopened the bridge to all traffic at 2:00 PM today. Kudos to Frederick County for completing the work in a timely manner as the bridge was closed for only 21 days.Some new and interesting details can be found in a Frederick News Post article
on the re-opening here.
New meets old where they replaced most of the fascia boards on the west entrance
According to Bill Routzahn of the Frederick County Highway Department,
the reason for the spliced beam was to avoid having to remove the roof
to mount a single beam, thus reducing the time and cost of repairs and
enabling a quicker reopening of the bridge.
Same as it ever was
July 5, 2006 - "TCB"
The crew is back with their trailer and their big rig and they are taking care of business. Replacement beams are now in place and it looks like they are making good progress.
A FredCo equipment trailer watches over the bridge with a new beam visable
Better picture of the new beam on the west entrance
Not sure it's a great idea to keep this lift rig on the bridge overnight . . .
Close up of a new interior beam. For some reason, this beam has a graft in
the middle unlike all the other beams
Pretty good craftsmanship
June 28, 2006 - "They Pulled a Copperfield!"
Maybe the rain spooked them, but the backhoe and skid loader that have been onsite at the bridge mysteriously dissapeared !This could also signal the end of the 'clean-up' phase and means we now wait for the covered bridge experts to arrive and finish the job.
June 26, 2006 - "We Needed the Rain"
Frederick County received some much needed rain after a dry spring that left us over half a foot short of the average annual rainfall for this time of year.While it was good for the grass in our yards, rain isn't good for outdoor repairs, so there hasn't been much work done in the last few days.
While we wait for things to get moving again, here are some pictures from the renovation in 1998 courtesy of Fitzgerald's Heavy Timber Construction Inc.
Renovation in progress - more than just a new coat of paint
Interior trusswork and timber framing
The renovation is nearly complete
June 24, 2006 - "Finally - Some Respect"
After finally getting the word, the Frederick News Post digs up some info for a story about the accident, which you can read here.
Details emerging from this story include:
Allen L. Fogle Sr., 52, of Rocky Ridge, was headed east on Utica Road in a 2004 Freightliner before 7:30 a.m. June 15 when he came to the bridge, according to a report filed with the Frederick County Sheriff's Office.
Cpl. Jennifer Bailey said the truck is 12 feet 7 inches tall, according to the report. At least two signs leading to the bridge, one about 20 feet from the entrance, list the clearance at 9 feet 6 inches.
The truck was able to enter the tunnel -like opening of the bridge, scraping along a series of exposed roof beams that span the width of the tunnel. It became stuck about halfway through the 101-foot bridge, at which point Mr. Fogle put the truck in reverse and backed out, Cpl. Bailey said. The truck broke one of the bridge's solid pine roof beams and removed the exterior trim and siding of the bridge's western facade on its way out.
The article also states that Mr. Fogle was not charged in connection with the accident. They don't explain why but it may be due to the fact that a Sheriff's Deputy did not witness the event.
Hopefully justice will be served when Mr. Fogle has to deal with accounting for damage to the truck as it was apparently a rental vehicle.
One would think that a Frederick County resident would have known better than to drive a big rental truck through a limited height bridge . . .
June 23, 2006 - "Pace Yourselves Boys..."
No observable repairs were performed yesterday or today.June 21, 2006 - "Slowly But Surely"
Repairs began today to the cross beam supports that were damaged.
The fractured cross beam support has been removed. You can see a lighter area on the underside of the beam running the length of the bridge. This is where the cross beam was attached. You can also see a smaller diagonal beam hanging unattached where it met that same cross beam.
Based on the rate of repairs so far, it may not be nearly as long as expected before the bridge is back in operation.
June 20, 2006 - "How Long This Time..."
A long time resident of Utica Road mentions that during the last major renovation back in the late 1990's, the bridge was closed for six months. We wonder how long it will be this time around.June 19, 2006 - "Reconstruction Begins"
The bridge is still closed to motorized vehicles, but is passable by bicycle and on foot.
Repairs have begun to the damaged fascia boards on the west side of the bridge.
June 17, 2006 - "The Plot Thickens"
We've learned some additional facts about the incident:The offending vehicle was a yellow box truck similar to the ones rented by Hertz and Penske. When the driver realized he was not going to make it through the bridge, he backed out, doing even more damage than when he first entered.
Initially his left the scene but to his credit, he did return and knocked on the door of a nearby resident's home saying he had damaged the bridge.
June 16, 2006 - "Blissfully Quiet"
Although Utica Road is a fairly quiet thoroughfare as far as Frederick County roads go, it does get it's share of 'bridge tourist' traffic. Now that the bridge is closed, through traffic has decreased to zero. Some neigbors consider petitioning the county to leave it closed to vehicular traffic permanently as the peace and quiet is so nice...June 15, 2006 - "Here We Go Again"
Although it's been a nice eight year stretch since the last time the Utica Covered Bridge needed work, it was bound to happen sooner or later that some 'unattentive driver' in an oversized truck would ignore the height limitations and damage our beloved bridge.On Thursday morning, June 15th, 2006, a box truck traveling through the Utica Covered Bridge struck the bridge in several places causing significant cosmetic and structural damage.
While the bridge is 'officially' closed to all vehicular traffic, it is passable by cyclists.
To Frederick County's credit, they got the detour signs up quickly
There shouldn't be any doubt that cars won't get through . . .
At least cyclists can still get through !
There won't be much traffic on this bridge for a while
Looking at the west entrance, you can see over 2/3 of the fascia boards are gone,
along with the left side support beam. It's likely the truck knocked out the fascia
along the top as it exited the bridge, and work crews simply removed whatever
boards were loose when they cleaned up the debris.
You can see where the top of the truck scraped underneath the cross beam
in the foreground of this picture and completely fractured the next cross
beam behind it.
Here you get a closer look at the fractured beam and a smaller support behind
it. These aren't flimsy 2x4's - it took a lot of stupidity to break these suckers.