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MOOD'S BRIDGE |
- Location: Blooming Glen Road, East Rockhill Township, PA
- Waterway: East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek
- Bridge Dimensions: 120' in length & 15' in width
- Spans: 1
- Year: 1874
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Bridge Type: Town Truss |
The Mood's Bridge is located Northeast
of the Borough of Perkasie, PA in East Rockhill Township. The
width is 15 feet and two cars can barely fit through it at the
same time. This bridge was built in 1874 and it is 121 feet long.
Mood's Bridge is also known as the Branch Bridge. The original
builder of the bridge is unknown.
PENNSYLVANIA COVERED BRIDGES
It is estimated that Pennsylvania at one time
had at least 1500 covered bridges. Prior to the Agnes Flood of
1972, Pennsylvania had 271 covered bridges. Today Pennsylvania
has 215 covered bridges in 37 counties. One of 13 covered bridges
in Bucks County in 2001 is Mood's Bridge. This treasure of the
past is at times considered inconvenient. East Rockhill Township
officials have discussed making the bridge one way or replacing
the roadway with another parallel road over a new bridge.
NEEDED REPAIRS
Mood's bridge was in need of repair due to
a combination of neglect, wear, and vandalism. The photos in this
section of the website document the restoration of this bridge
by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in 1997.
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| Large sections of the boards on the road deck
were damaged as seen here. |
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New chords (horizontal members seen here) replaced
old chords both above and below the trusses. |
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| Scaffolding, jacks, cables, and other structural
systems were put in place during the repairs. |
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Here is another view of the scaffolding.. |