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The
Pier and Wright Bridges
Only
two out of an original thirteen Concord & Claremont
Railway Co. covered railroad bridges still exist in Newport,
New Hampshire, and are known as the Wright’s Bridge
and the Pier Bridge. These bridges, which are located along
the Chandlers Mills Road, cross the Sugar River and help
create a portion of the ‘Sugar River Rail Trail’ – a
rail trail owned by the New Hampshire Department
of Resources and Economic Development, Division
of Parks and Recreation.
This 9.5 mile multi-use, recreational trail from
Newport to Claremont is open year-round and is
used by hikers,
bikers, 4-wheelers, equestrians, runners, cross
country skiers, snowshoers, snowmobilers and
sled dogs.
The
Pier Bridge, also known as
the Chandler Station Bridge, is a double town/Pratt
lattice truss bridge which spans the Sugar River
at a length
of 216'-7'. This makes it the longest covered railroad
bridge in the world!
The
Wright Bridge is named for S. K. Wright who owned
the land and gave the Sugar River Railroad right-of-way
through
his property. The bridge is the last surviving railroad
or highway covered bridge with double Town lattice
truss with a laminated arch in between the trusses.
The arch goes the whole length of the bridge on each
side and is heeled into the abutment at both ends.
It is the arch that carries the live load.
History
Until
1915, Their were fifteen Claremont & Concord
Railway Co. covered bridges crossing the Sugar
River. But today, the Pier Bridge & the
Wright Bridge are the only two remaining
such bridges left in Newport and one of only
eight remaining in the
entire country. Therefore, it is an important
piece of our local, as well as national history!
and because
of all those who utilize it (joggers, walkers,
four-wheelers, mountain-bikers, dirt bikers,
hikers, snowmobilers,
and cross-country skiers), it is an important
part of our town character that needs to be
preserved
for future generations to enjoy.
From
Route 10, take Route 11-103 West (toward Claremont)
at the stop light near Irving
gas station in Newport. Drive for 2.8 miles.
Turn left onto Chandlers Mills Road. Note a small
brown
and white NH State covered bridge sign on the
corner.
The
Pier Bridge is 1 mile on the right side. You may
park along the right side of the road.
There
are stairs down to the trail bed leading
to the bridge. The bridge is 217’ long with a pier
in the middle for which the bridge is named. It is
the longest
of the 8 surviving railroad covered bridges.
At the other end of the bridge on the left is a granite
block with some trees. You can access the underneath
of the bridge when the water is low by descending
here. The truss work under the decking is neat!
From
the Pier Bridge to Wright’s trailhead is .8
mile down the road. There are 4 houses on the right
side spaced apart between the Pier Bridge and Wright’s
trailhead. When approaching the trailhead, you will see where the trail crosses
the road from left to right. At the beginning of the trail on the right is
the trail gate followed by a long straight-away.
You cannot see the bridge portal
as the tree branches overhang the trail. The bridge is 1,250’ down
the trail in the middle of the straight-away.
Pier
Bridge Preservation Project
The Pier Bridge Preservation Project
was launched in June of 2006 to ensure preservation
of this rare and important piece of covered bridge
and railroad history.
How
Do I Contribute?
Checks
made payable to: Pier Bridge Preservation Project
Mail checks to:
Sugar River Bank
Attn: Leighann King
P O Box 569
Newport NH 03773
Thank
you for helping save the Pier and Wright’s
Railroad Covered Bridges for the next generation
to enjoy.
The Corbin Bridge
The Corbin Bridge
Corbin
Bridge and Park is located on Corbin Rd. left off
Route 10, 1 mile north of
Newport High School.
Directions:
West of N.H. Route 10 on North Newport Road, two
miles
north of Newport Village
over the Croydon Branch
of the Sugar River.
The
park features picnic
tables and fishing in the Sugar River. In
1993 arsonists destroyed the Corbin
Bridge. It was rebuilt in 1994.
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