Vermont Covered Bridge Society, Covered Bridges, Covered Bridge News

Greenbanks Hollow Covered Bridge Renovation - 2002

[WGN 45-03-01]

Greenbanks Hollow Renovation Index

Town of Danville to get grant for Greenbanks Hollow Covered Bridge
Greenbanks Hollow Grant - Update: April 2001
Greenbanks Hollow Bridge Progress: July 2002
Greenbanks Hollow Bridge Progress: August 2002
Greenbanks Hollow Bridge Progress: September 2002
Greenbanks Hollow Bridge Progress: October 2002
Greenbanks Hollow Bridge Progress: November 2002
Greenbanks Hollow Bridge Open to Traffic! December 2002
The Greenbanks Hollow Covered Bridge: A History

Town of Danville to get grant for Greenbanks Hollow Covered Bridge
Spring 2001

The town of Danville has been slated to receive a $300,000 grant to repair the Greenbanks Hollow Covered Bridge. The grant was approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation under the National Covered Bridge Preservation Act. The act, authored by Senator Jim Jeffords, provides 80 percent federal funding for historic bridge reconstruction and research.

The Danville bridge is one of two Vermont bridges selected for the preservation grants this year; the other is the Sanderson Bridge in Brandon. Last year it was Thetford's Union Village Bridge and Cambridge's Poland Bridge.

The trusses that once supported the old Greenbanks Covered Bridge are to be reconstructed allowing the removal of a pier and a pair of steel girders that have provided temporary bracing for the old span since they were installed back in the 1970s. In addition, the deck system and the roof will be replaced.

The bridge was inspected in October of 1994 as part of a state-wide study of Town owned covered bridges sponsored by the Vermont Agency of Transportation. The inspectors recommended that the community close the bridge to traffic and construct an adjacent bypass, or replace the bridge and move it to a nearby preservation site. The cost to replace the bridge was estimated at the time to be $315,000.

Greenbanks Hollow Covered Bridge Grant - Update
April 2001

Thursday, April 26, 2001 - Steve White, Administrative Assistant for the Town of Danville has been tracking progress in the effort to get work started to preserve the Greenbanks Hollow Covered Bridge under the National Covered Bridge Preservation Act.

"I got a call from a David Hoyne," said White. "I had called in to be sure that the town did not lose Jeffords' grant money...they had to have the plan put together by September 30th of this year, so they are trying to fast track this thing, they've jumped right on it."

The engineering consulting firm Hoyle, Tanner Associates of Manchester, NH has been authorized by VTrans to study the bridge. "They've got them on line as consulting engineers," White said. "And we (The Town of Danville) are working right now with some easement issues. The Selectboard has given the OK to close traffic on the road during construction and to utilize the three rod right-of-way."

Project Manager Susan Scribner said that a meeting will be scheduled in two to three months, said White, when she has heard from Hoyle, Tanner and plans for the work can be completed. "They are looking for a 2002 construction season which is one summer away."

Work to Begin on Danville's Greenbanks Hollow Bridge: July 18, 2002

Hi Joe:
Just to update you. The construction contract on the Greenbanks Hollow Covered bridge was officially let on July 15th with work commencing very soon. The contractor is Contractors Crane Service of Huntington. They intend to lift the bridge off the river with a crane and work on the bridge on land, then return it to the river by November this year. I will keep you updated by email and will be taking photos as well.

Mert Leonard,
Danville Administrative Assistant.

Work Begins on Danville's Greenbanks Hollow Bridge: July 23, 2002

Work begins on the Greenbanks Hollow Covered Bridge as the contractor, Contractors Crane Service of Huntington, Vt., begins the process of lifting the bridge off of its abutments. The bridge will be renovated, then returned to its place over Joe's Brook.

Photo by Mert Leonard, July 23, 2002

Danville's Greenbanks Hollow Bridge Moved Off River: July 26, 2002

Danville's Greenbanks Hollow bridge is off the river and on the ground, high and dry. Mert Leonard

Photo by Mert Leonard, July 25, 2002

Work Progressing on Danville's Greenbanks Hollow Bridge: August 4, 2002

Bridge work is progressing with the removal of the deck and supports. The south stone abutment is also going to be repaired. Notice the old repair work that was done on the north end of the bridge in the two close ups.

Mert Leonard

Photo by Mert Leonard
Aug 4, 2002

Danville's Greenbanks Hollow Bridge Work Status: August 31, 2002

The bridge has been making little progress the last couple of weeks, dismantling some of the roof is about it. The new beams are on order from Oregon but it will be another two to three weeks before they get here. They have been working on the stone abutment and its about rebuilt, that activity took most of the last two weeks.

Mert Leonard

Photo by Mert Leonard
Aug 31, 2002

Danville's Greenbanks Hollow Bridge Work On Schedule: September 16, 2002

The bridge appears to be on schedule, as it is mostly disassembled and the truck load of wood from Oregon showed up Friday.

Mert Leonard

Photo by Mert Leonard
Sept. 16, 2002

Danville's Greenbanks Hollow Bridge Work Nearing Completion: October 31, 2002

The bridge is going back together pretty fast now. They expect to place it back on the brook next Tuesday, Nov 5th. Roofing and flooring will be completed after the bridge is back home on its abutments.

Mert Leonard

Photo by Mert Leonard
Oct 31, 2002

Greenbanks Hollow Bridge Returned to Joe's Brook: November 8, 2002

Well, the bridge is back home, made it there on Tuesday snow and all. They've still got a ways to go but structurally they got it together.

Mert Leonard

Photo by Mert Leonard
Nov. 8, 2002

Greenbanks Hollow Bridge to be Fully Functional: November 15, 2002

You can see in these photos where the deck beams are resting on the bottom cord, and the arrangement of the decking. They put the side boards on straight so you can't see the camber of the bottom cord, note no piers.

Mert Leonard

[Unlike many rehabilitated covered bridges, the Greenbanks Hollow Bridge is being restored as a fully functioning bridge in which the new floor is not self supporting, but is supported by the trusses as the original builders intended. And good riddance to the ugly old "temporary" piers- Ed.]