Covered bridge in Waitsfield reopens after truck crash

The historic covered bridge in Waitsfield was temporarily closed Tuesday afternoon after a driver left a rental truck stranded.

“The truck was trying to make a delivery and the driver thought he was going to go over the covered bridge,” Waitsfield police Officer Jeff Campbell said. The bridge, also known as the Big Eddy Covered Bridge, is a wooden bridge that crosses the Mad River on Bridge Street and was built in 1833, one of the oldest covered bridges in Vermont.

The height of the truck was 2 feet higher than the span of the covered bridge and damaged the bridge’s roof and support. According to Campbell, the weight limit of the covered bridge was 3 tons and the truck exceeded this limit.

According to a press release from the Vermont State Police, the accident affected the stability of the bridge, causing it to close.

The bridge reopened at 2:45 p.m. Campbell said the town could offer temporary support to the bridge until more permanent repairs can be made.