Madison County – Cedar Covered Bridge

This historic bridge was originally constructed in 1883 and completely destroyed by an arsonist on September 3, 2002. The County desired a replacement structure which replicated the former bridge as closely as possible. Since there are no record drawings of the destroyed bridge, CB&A designers began the assignment by carefully photographing and measuring the burned remains, as well as studying two other covered bridges constructed by the same original bridge builder.

The replacement structure is a 130′-0 x 13′-7 timber bridge which includes a 66′-0 timber Town Lattice Truss with three timber approach spans. The truss is founded on concrete encased, steel bearing pile piers, while the approach spans are resting on timber trestle piers and high timber abutments. The plans include numerous intricate details for the lattice truss framing, splicing, and jointing, and roofing, flooring, and siding. Additionally, the plans require the contractor to construct mock-ups of the truss joints for review and approval by CB&A prior to the bridge construction.

Because of the unique nature of this project, CB&A worked closely with the County and Iowa DOT to ensure the necessary qualifications of interested bidders. In addition to design services, CB&A will also provide resident engineering and construction observation services for the County.