Kings Covered Bridge Rehabilitation, Somerset County, PA

Kings Covered Bridge over Laurel Creek in Somerset County, Pennsylvania is approximately 114-foot clear span multiple Kingpost Truss with nail-laminated arches. This timber bridge is historically significant because it retains its original features of the 1860’s since the 1930s when it was spared from modernization by the construction of an adjacent steel highway bridge for vehicular traffic. Since that time Kings Bridge has a colorful history, including use as livestock barn and a proposed new use as a part of a “twin covered bridge” municipal park. Kings Bridge remains a museum-quality artifact. The bridge is currently supported by a temporary steel queenpost truss system pending full rehabilitation. The rehabilitation strategy for Kings Bridge is to minimize interventions, repair in-place, and to replace deteriorated members in-kind where possible. This paper documents the rehabilitation of Kings Bridge as of November 1, 2004. An updated presentation of the existing timber conditions; structural analysis; and final rehabilitation design will be presented at the ASCE Structures Congress in April 2005. Rehabilitation construction will begin fall 2005. The rehabilitation funding for Kings Bridge is 100% federal through the National Covered Bridge and the Transportation Enhancements programs.