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On
9 February 2002, the temperature was 65° in Ohio. The day
was so beautiful that I decided to take a ride to Williams County
and ph otograph the
Lockport Covered Bridge. |
| Completed
19 June 1999, the Lockport Covered Bridge is located in Williams
County, Ohio. Williams County officials replaced an old steel
truss bridge with a historic reminder of the covered bridge that
stood in the same spot in 1860. |
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Federal
funding was available and Williams County officials began working
with SSOE, Inc., an engineering and architectural firm based
in Toledo, Ohio, to work out the plans. |
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SSOE engaged Riverbend Timber
Framing of Blissfield, Michigan, one of the country's largest
post and beam companies, to consult on the engineering of the
timber structure.
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| Riverbend
constructed all of the oak frame components, then precut and
prefit all the pieces prior to sending it to the bridge site
ready for assembly. The framing was delivered in February of
1999 and the bridge opened in June of that same year. |
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| Changes
are always important in today's society, no matter how strong
you want to hang on the old styles. The Lockport Covered Bridge
is 30 feet wide and 167 feet long and spans the Tiffin River.
Constructed with a Side Howe truss design, this bridge will support
tractor trailer rigs and farm machinery. |
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The cost to build
was $1,700,000.00. With the exception of concrete abutments and
piers and some steel tension wires the bridge is completely fashioned
from wood. There is a tin roof and pedestrian walkway on one
side of the bridge. |
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I would like to thank Larry Case of the Williams County Engineer's
Office for all his help with the mapping and directions. |
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Directions: In Springfield Township, From Stryker
north on S.R.191, 2 miles. Turn right on C.R. 26 in Brady Township,
1.25 miles. Turn right on C.R. 34 a sixteenth of a mile. Covered
bridge on left on C.R.. 3
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