Crosses Cowles Creek Designer John Smolen Construction started September 2010 Total length 5.5 m Bridge type Covered bridge | Locale Geneva, Ohio No. of spans 1 Construction begin 2010 Opened 2011 Location Geneva Body of water Cowles Creek | |
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Address 94 W Liberty St, Geneva, OH 44041, USA Similar Covered bridge, Smolen–Gulf Bridge, Mechanicsville Road Covered, Harpersfield Covered Bridge, Coney Island | ||
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The West Liberty Covered Bridge is a covered bridge which carries West Liberty Street across Cowles Creek in Geneva, Ohio, United States. At 18 feet (5.5 m), it has been called the shortest covered bridge in the United States. The bridge, one of 17 drivable covered bridges in the county, was designed by John Smolen, former Ashtabula County Engineer and the designer of the Smolen–Gulf Bridge, the longest covered bridge in the U.S., also in Ashtabula County.
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Construction
Conceived in 2007, the bridge project proceeded in 2008 when the Ohio Public Works Commission supplied a grant for its construction. The decision to replace the existing culvert with a covered bridge was made because a bridge of that type would be cheaper than replacing the culvert with another culvert, and also would add to the tourism created by Ashtabula County's other covered bridges.
The foundation for the bridge was laid in September 2010, with the bridge proper assembled starting the following month. Students from the Ashtabula County Joint Vocational School (now Ashtabula County Technical and Career Campus, or A-Tech) in nearby Jefferson Township contributed their labor, further defraying the costs.
The bridge opened to traffic on August 22, 2011. It was dedicated on October 8, 2011.