James Rada, Jr.
The Roddy Road Covered Bridge had barely reopened after an accident in May caused significant damage to the roof and beams, when another truck crashed through the bridge in June, carrying part of it away. The bridge has been closed since June, as county officials have worked to secure a contractor to do the repair work, in addition to deciding on what—if anything—can be done to stop this sort of thing from happening again.
The 40-foot-long bridge, which was built in 1856, is a single-span Kingpost-design bridge. It is the smallest of the covered bridges still in existence in Maryland, and is a Thurmont-area landmark. In the 1930s, steel beams were added beneath the bridge for the additional support needed for heavier vehicles.
The bridge was closed for rehabilitation last summer, but on May 18, 2016, a box truck got stuck on the bridge and had to be sawed out by firefighters from Guardian Hose Company. Repairs were made, but then the following month, another driver forced his box truck through the bridge, actually carrying off part of the bridge on top of the truck, until it fell off as the truck turned onto U.S. 15.
Amanda Radcliffe, with the Frederick County Office of Transportation Engineering, said that the county has been moving forward with the bridge repairs, although a contract has not yet been signed with a contractor to make the repairs. “The county is utilizing emergency purchasing funds,” explained Radcliffe.
The projected cost of the repairs is expected to be approximately $150,000.
The county is also looking at ways of stopping traffic damage to the bridge and will hold a future meeting with the community to get residents’ ideas and opinions.
