Restoration of the Cabin Creek Bridge in Lewis County is expected to be completed by the end of February.
Arnold Graton, owner of Arnold Graton Associates, said the temporary trusses, which were put in place to keep the bridge stabilized, have been completely removed, and all that remains is to finish the floor and a few spots around the bridge.
"We should be completely finished by the end of the month," Graton said. "All we have to do is finish the floor and a little boarding around the bridge, but we've taken out the temporary trusses and planted them in a neighbor’s yard for now. They will be there for a few months. We've already started pulling our equipment from the site. Every trip I make back, I take some of my tools with me."
Graton said the trusses were installed in 2009, until funding could be secured to complete the bridge restoration. Throughout the process, Graton said he replaced the original timbers, which have rotted out and shortened the original 118 feet base timbers by six feet.
Graton said he hopes to see the bridge opened up to small vehicle traffic once completed.
"We've enjoyed our time in Kentucky and being given the opportunity to restore the Cabin Creek Covered bridge," Graton said. "I hope we can come back soon."
The bridge is one of 13 surviving covered bridges in Kentucky, according to Graton. One of those bridges is privately owned. All have been restored with the exception of Cabin Creek, Beech Fork, Ringo Mills and Grange City.
The Cabin Creek bridge was originally built in 1873 by William Henderson as a 114-foot, single-span, multiple kings post bridge, according to Patrick Kennedy, preservation officer for the Kentucky Heritage Council.
It was closed in 1983 to foot and vehicle traffic, due to storm damage. It fell into disrepair after flood waters damaged more of the bridge. Kennedy also said the original builder of the Lewis County bridge is buried on site.
"He's not directly next to the bridge but near the creek the bridge crosses," Kennedy said.
According to Kennedy, the restoration plans began in the early to mid-1990s, when the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet hired two engineering companies to evaluate all the covered bridges in the state and rate them based on which bridges were in the worst shape. The cabinet then focused on fixing the bridges based on their level of need.
The Cabin Creek Bridge restoration cost approximately $1.2 million and has been fully funded through a transportation enhancement program. The restoration is ahead of schedule. In August, Judge-Executive Todd Ruckel said he expected the bridge to be completed around summer.
"We're excited to see that it's nearing completion," Ruckel said. "We realize the historical significance of the bridge to not only Lewis County, but the state. We're hoping it will draw in people from other parts of the area and will be something everyone can come to visit and enjoy."
Story by Christy Hoots, The Ledger Independent
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