Vilas Bridge
Facts
- Overview
- Open-Spandrel concrete arch bridge over Connecticut River on Bridge Street
- Location
- Bellows Falls, Windham County, Vermont, and Cheshire County, New Hampshire
- Status
- Intact but closed to all traffic
- History
- Built 1931 by Robie Construction Co; rehabilitated 1974; Closed 2009
- Builders
- - New Hampshire Highway Department (Design)
- Robie Construction Co. of Manchester, New Hampshire (Fabrication)
- Design
- 2 span Open-Spandrel Arch
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 107.0 ft.
Total length: 230.0 ft.
Deck width: 24.0 ft.
- Recognition
- Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
- Also called
- Interstate Bridge
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +43.13528, -72.44000 (decimal degrees)
43°08'07" N, 72°26'24" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 18/708207/4779018 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Bellows Falls
- Average daily traffic (as of 2017)
- 6,100
- Inventory number
- BH 24829 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
- Inspection report (as of November 2018)
- Overall condition: Poor
Superstructure condition rating: Imminent Failure (1 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Imminent Failure (1 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Imminent Failure (1 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 20 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com
Update Log
- September 14, 2019: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
- March 29, 2018: New photos from Richard Doody
- February 17, 2017: New Street View added by Dana and Kay Klein
- February 9, 2017: Updated by Michael Quiet: Added builders
- November 3, 2014: Updated by Michael Quiet: Noted that this bridge is an open-spandrel design, that its currentley closed, and added pictures
- November 8, 2013: Updated by Luke Harden: Name correction
Related Bridges
- GMRC - Bellows Falls Stone Arch Bridge (Upstream)
- Tucker Toll Covered Bridge 45-13-54x / 29-03-22x (Predecessor)
Sources
- Luke
- Michael Quiet - mquiet [at] gmail [dot] com
- Dana and Kay Klein
- Richard Doody
- Geoff Hubbs
Comments
7 years on and this exceptional example of an Open-Spandrel concrete arch bridge is still closed awaiting a rehabilitation. It looks like it might take action form the courts to determine who actually owns this bridge (and thus who is on the line for repairs):
http://www.eagletimes.com/news/2016-06-02/Front_Page/Federal...
In the plus column, the article talks positively about the historic value of this bridge and the need for a rehab. Lets hope preservation wins out...
VPR podcast on recent efforts to move up the rehab.
http://digital.vpr.net/post/nh-rejects-vt-s-offer-repair-vil...
Come on, don't get me going again!
Mary, I believe you are referring to the Vilas
Pics here - http://preservationinpink.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/vilas-bri...
It's in a beautiful and storied spot, the site of Col. Hale's 1796 span. Background here - http://bridgewright.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/high-water/ - http://bridgewright.wordpress.com/2011/11/27/a-chasm-vast-an...
I'm going to edit this page - The spelling of the name needs correction, and the county needs changing, all bridges over the Connecticut belong to and are the financial responsibility of NH, so if it were to be listed in but one county that would better be Cheshire.
JUST BELOW THE BRIDGE STREET BRIDGE IS ANOTHER HISTORIC BRIDGE CALLED THE [VALE BRIDGE] BUILT IN 1930'S. IT IS ONE OF THE LARGEST ARCHED BRIDGES MADE ALL OF CONCRETE. THE BRIDGE IS CLOSED AT THIS TIME AND PLANS ARE TO FIX THE PROBLEMS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THIS BRIDGE CROSSES A LARGE CHASAM FOR OVER FLOW OF THE CONNETICUTT RIVER. RUNS PARRELL WITH RAIL ROAD BRIDGE AND SITS JUST SOUTH OF IT. I WISH I HAD PICTURES OF IT. BUT I DO NOT AT THIS TIME.
YOU CAN GO TO GOOGLE EARTH AND SEE IT. IT IS BEAUTIFUL.
this bridge has been closed for months-no through traffic
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/vt/windham/26200620005200/
FWIW the verse on the plaque is from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bridge_Builder