Transportation

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Types of transportation in Licking County


Covered Bridges

Licking County is crisscrossed by rivers, creeks, and at one time, canals. Because of this geographical characteristic, the county is home to a large number of bridges. In years past, Licking County could boast over 150 wood truss bridges. It’s possible that there were even more at one time, but unfortunately the Licking County Commissioners’ Journals are missing from the years 1866-1875, so we do not know for certain how many bridges were built during that time.[1] The following is a list of just some of the covered bridges that could be found throughout Licking County.

Moscow Bridge

The Moscow Bridge was a two-lane Town truss bridge that crossed the South Fork of the Licking River on the National Road near Hebron.[2] It was the only bridge of its kind along the National Road. The well-known bridge was demolished in 1929.[3]

Kirkersville Bridge

The Kirkersville Bridge was a Long truss bridge that crossed the reservoir feeder for the canal just east of Kirkersville. It was located on the National Road. The exact date of its construction is not known, but it is estimated to have been built in the 1840s. It was removed in 1917.[4]

Girl Scout/Shoults Bridge

The Shoults Bridge, also known as the Girl Scouts Bridge. It was on land owned at one time by the Mercer Family, so it was also occasionally referred to as one of the Mercer Bridges. It was built in 1879 about two miles north of Frampton Road, near the Girl Scouts Camp. It is seventy-four feet long and is a multiple kingpost bridge.[5]

Belle Hall Bridge

The Belle Hall Bridge was built over Otter Fork on Dutch Cross Road [6] in the northwestern part of Licking County. It was badly damaged by a truck in 1970 and was rebuilt with steel reinforcements. By 1990, much of the siding was missing.[7] The Belle Hall Bridge has since been replaced.

Gregg Mill/Pine Bluff Bridge (aka Bartholomew Bridge)

The Gregg Mill Bridge was built in 1880 over Wakatomika Creek on Frampton Road near Fallsburg.[8] It was one of five bridges originally spanning the Wakatomika on Frampton Road. The bridge is 124 feet long and features a multiple kingpost truss design.[9] In 1987, voters passed a public works bond issue to invest $198,000 into the bridge’s restoration. Much of the original construction and materials were refurbished, and the bridge was reinforced to hold up to modern traffic. In January of 2005, the bridge suffered heavy damage from flood waters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursed $307,000 to the county in order to make repairs to the bridge. The structure was damaged once again in October of 2008 when a vehicle that exceeded the 10’ clearance limit attempted to cross the bridge. The damage left the bridge unusable, tearing out many of the beams and supports that held up the roof.

Canals

Like Panema

Interurban

Electric railroad

Maps

Link to Maps page

National Road

The national road

Railroads

Possibly link to specific lines or tracks like the

Roads and Highways

The road less traveled

References

  1. Miriam Wood, The Covered Bridges of Ohio: an Atlas and History (Columbus, OH: M. Wood, 1993), 57.
  2. Miriam Wood, The Covered Bridges of Ohio: an Atlas and History (Columbus, OH: M. Wood, 1993), 57.
  3. “Skilled Artisans Built Covered Bridges in County,” The Newark Advocate, 1953.
  4. Miriam Wood, The Covered Bridges of Ohio, 57 – 58.
  5. Miriam Wood, The Covered Bridges of Ohio, 56.
  6. Ohio Department of Transportation, Second Ohio Historic Bridge Inventory (Columbus: Ohio Department of Transportation in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, 1990), 208.
  7. Miriam Wood, The Covered Bridges of Ohio, 57.
  8. Larry Fugate, “1880 Covered Bridge Receives New Lease on Life in Fallsburg,” The Advocate, May 23, 1993.
  9. Miriam Wood, The Covered Bridges of Ohio, 56.