Built in 1857, the original Low’s Covered Bridge was a one-lane, patented, Long-truss structure spanning 130 feet. It was tragically destroyed by a flood on April 1, 1987—the same fate that had befallen two previous bridges at the site. Loss of this treasured landmark, a link to the forefathers of engineering, generated much local support for replacement with another covered bridge. RBA was selected by the Maine Department of Transportation to design a new bridge to replicate the original bridge as closely as possible but with additional live-load capacity and in compliance with current codes and standards. RBA prepared the design and construction documents for the new bridge. It was assembled off-site, rolled into place, and lowered onto the original stone-masonry abutments that had been raised almost 3 feet to reduce the potential for future flood damage. RBA received a National Honor Award for Engineering Excellence from the American Consulting Engineers Council for work on this project.
