Gorham Covered Bridge Rehabilitation Progress: May 2003 - June 2004
Martin Bridge Returns Index
- Gorham Bridge Renovation Begins: May 2003
- Gorham Bridge Renovation Progress: August 2003
- Gorham Bridge Renovation On Hold: December 2003
- Gorham Bridge Moved Back Over Otter Creek: June 2004
Gorham Bridge Renovation Begun
May 1, 2003 - Hey all! Went to see what work was done on the Sanderson CB yesterday,(quite a bit has been done there) and decided to stop by the Gorham CB to see if it was still closed. What a surprise I got. Here are the details I got from the Project Supervisor, Jason Billings.
Work started 4/29/03, and the completion date is November. Cost of the project is 1.2 million. The bridge weighs 156,000 lbs.
The bridge will be taken off the river and put on to the west bank to be worked on. The target date is 5/7/03 Tuesday, May 7, weather permitting, to take the bridge off the river. Cranes, barges & trucks with flatbed trailers will be used to do this job.
Being replaced: Floor beams, Decking, Siding, All Roof including rafters & parallel & collar ties & all knee braces. Bottom/Bottom chord will be replaced with a 114 ft glue laminated beam, Top/Bottom chord will be of southern yellow pine. Approximately 40% of end lattices will be replaced, center lattice will be saved. Floor beams will be glue laminated beams, decking will be of southern white pine. Both abutments will be taken out and replaced with concrete, and elevation will be the same as original abutments.
The work is being done by Contractor Crane Service (CCS) of Morrisville.
Later, Yours in Bridging,
David Guay
Photo by David Guay
May 1, 2003
Photo by David Guay
May 1, 2003
Photo by David Guay
May 1, 2003
Photo by David Guay
May 1, 2003
Gorham Covered Bridge Renovation Update: August 2003
August 19, 2003 - The Gorham Bridge renovation is well underway. Rotted upper chord members have been replaced with native spruce, the upper bottom chords have been replaced with southern yellow pine. Lattice planks found by the inspection and marked in the contract drawings for removal were replaced with southern yellow pine, 34 pieces. Twelve others requiring replacement were found by the contractor and replaced with native spruce.
Most of the truss work is completed except for the lower bottom chords. These will be modified to support the Town's request for a carrying capacity of 40,000 pounds. The lower bottom chords will be replaced with glulam beams. The new floor will be 2" x 6" nail-laminate as before, supported by 10.5"x13.75" southern yellow pine floor beams at 3'5" spacing, replacing 6" x 11.5" floor beams at 1'9" intervals.
Formerly of corrugated steel, the roof will be replaced with galvanized standing seam metal. The new roof will have an eave overhang of at least one foot, requiring that the original roof rafters be replaced with longer members; the original roof system had no eave overhang, and with the siding cut short of the eaves to provide ventilation, the upper chords and lattice were exposed to the weather.
All of the knee-braces will be replaced and installed at five-foot intervals instead of ten, and they will be fastened with lags instead of spikes.
Borings demonstrated that there is very poor soil under the abutments, so these are being replaced with cast-in-place concrete on driven piles. The cast concrete will be faced to give an original appearance.
Work began in May, 2003 with a completion date in early November. The cost of the project is currently estimated to be $1,243,788. The funds were received from the National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program. The prime contractor is Contractors Crane Service of Morrisville, the truss work is being done by Groton Timber Work, and the abutments by H.B. Fleming of Maine.
The Gorham Bridge is owned jointly by the towns of Pittsford and Proctor. It was built in 1841 by Abraham Owen and Nicholas Powers. It is 114' 2" in length in a single span, using the Town lattice truss. The bridge was rehabilitated in 1956 and again in 1979.
Photo by Joe Nelson
August 19, 2003
Gorham Bridge stands in a field on the west bank of Otter creek while the new abutments are under construction. Note the cofferdam sheeting in the foreground.
Photo by Joe Nelson
August 19, 2003
The multi-color timber shows the different species used in the new work; native spruce, southern yellow pine, and Douglas fir contrast with older timbers.
Photo by Joe Nelson
August 19, 2003
The lower bottom chords have been removed. They will be replaced with glulam beams to fill the Town's request for a 20 ton carrying capacity. The new floor will be 2x6 nail laminate on 10.5x13.75 southern yellow pine floor beams.
Photo by Joe Nelson
August 19, 2003
Bridge fabric, some historic, some from subsequent repairs, is piled nearby.
[Many thanks to Jason Billings of CCS. He was very helpful in providing input for this article - Ed.]
Gorham Bridge Renovation On Hold: December 2003
December 21, 2003 - Completion of the Gorham Bridge renovation is on hold at the request of the Vermont Agency of Transportation.
The prime contractor, Contractors Crane Service of Morrisville, was asked to suspend work until spring pending better weather for completion of the abutments.
The bridge, ready for the move, will stand on the west bank of Otter Creek through the winter months sheltering materials and equipment. At the time the photos were taken, the structure and exterior sheathing appeared to be complete except for the steel standing seam roofing.
Work began in May, 2003 with a completion date in early November. The cost of the project was estimated to be $1,243,788, funded by the National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program. The truss work was done by Groton Timber Work, and the abutments by H.B. Fleming of Maine.
Photo by Joe Nelson
December 14, 2003
Gorham Bridge stands on the west bank of Otter Creek awaiting completion of the new abutments.
Photo by Joe Nelson
December 14, 2003
Gorham Bridge, renovation nearly complete, awaits move back over the river.
Photo by Joe Nelson
December 14, 2003
Gorham Bridge stands on the west bank of Otter Creek awaiting completion of the new abutments.
Gorham Covered Bridge Moved Back Over The Otter Creek: June 2009
Pittsford-Proctor, June 20, 2004 - The Gorham bridge has been moved back over the river. It was done either Thursday or Friday June 17th or 18th. I was up to the bridge yesterday, the 19th and found it like this with no one around to talk to. The big cranes and heavy equipment was still at the site. The roof has to be put on, and roadway built. Otherwise, it looks great.
Photo by Dick Wilson
June 20, 2004
Photo by Dick Wilson
June 20, 2004
Photo by Dick Wilson
June 20, 2004
